Harvey’s broad reach
A map of FEMA’s initial damage assessements.
More than 90,000 residential structures in Harris, Galveston and Fort Bend counties could have been damaged by floods from the storm, according to flood models released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The models show that Harris County could bear the brunt of the damage — more than an estimated 80,000 homes, nearly 10,000 of which will sustain major damage.
Harris County officials already expect that the number of structures destroyed by Harvey’s floods will be much higher — greater than 136,000. FEMA will do its own assessment of the flood damage in the days and weeks to come. But for now, FEMA’s maps show only potential damage based on flooding, which in many places inundated 500-year flood plains — zones that rarely flood and where homeowners are not required to have insurance.
One thing is certain: Many in the region faced the storm with no flood insurance. More than 240,000 residences in Harris County are insured for floods — more than any other county in the nation — but that accounts for only 15 percent of the county’s 1.5 million properties.
Those without flood insurance can apply for disaster aid from FEMA and other federal agencies, but they will face many of the financial hurdles of rebuilding on their own.