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Floodplain Administration

Contact Us:

1000 Highland Village Rd.

Highland Village, TX 75077

(972) 899-5091 ext. 115 rwachal@highlandvillage.org

 

Welcome to Highland Village's Floodplain Administration Division!

Please click on the links below to learn more about:

The Local Flood Hazard

Flooding in Highland Village mostly comes from Lake Lewisville and several small tributaries, the principal ones being 1) the creek that runs East of Highland Forest between Oak Forest and Winding Creek Drive and 2) the creek that follows the eastern side of the City limits and empties into Lake Lewisville and Copperas Branch Park. Even though flash flood events in North Texas are most common during the months of May and June, the potential for flooding is present throughout the year and can affect nearly every person in Highland Village. Heavy rains in September 2010 caused the portion of Highland Village Road along Wichita Forest and the Lewisville Lake boat docks to wash away. The road had to be rebuilt, and many homes experienced structural damage and flooding from drainage system backups.  This high water event provided valuable lessons for the City about reducing the impacts of such an event in our community, and stressed the need for resident awareness.

About FEMA Letter of Map Amendments (LOMA) and Letter of Map Revisions (LOMR-F)

Although FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) uses the most accurate flood hazard information   available, structures or parcels of land may sometimes be erroneously included within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) on a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).

If you believe your property and/or structure should not be located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, as shown in Highland Villages Flood Insurance Rate Map and would like FEMA to make an official determination regarding the location of your property base relative to the Special Flood Hazard Area, you may request a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F). LOMAs and LOMR-Fs are documents issued by FEMA that officially remove a property and/or structure from the SFHA. To obtain a LOMA or LOMR-F, applicants must submit mapping and survey data for the property. In most cases, the   applicants will need to hire a land surveyor to prepare an Elevation Certificate for the property.

The issuance of a LOMA or LOMR-F eliminates the federal flood insurance purchase requirement as a condition of federal or federally backed financing. However, the mortgage lender retains the right to require homeowners to obtain flood insurance as a condition of providing financing, regardless of the location of the structure.

Many Highland Village residents have received an elevation certificate, but have not requested a Letter of Map Amendment. The combined annual flood insurance premium savings of eight Highland Village residents that have been issued a LOMA exceeds $15,000 to date. For more information about LOMAs and LOMR-F, please click here.

Click here to watch a video on LOMAs and LOMR-Fs. 

Floodplain/ Flood Insurance Rate Map Determination Questions

Follow the links below to view the City's Floodplain Map and Flood Insurance Rate Map  (FIRM) online:

You may also set up an appointment to view the City's current FIRM map during normal business  hours by calling the Public Works Department at (972) 899-5091 ext. 115 or by e-mailing  the Floodplain Administrator at rwachal@highlandvillage.org.

Flood Safety Tips

According to the National Weather Service, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm-related hazard. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by following the safety tips below:

  • Turn Around, Don't Drown: If you come to a flooded road, turn around! NEVER drive through flooded roadways or around road barriers. You will not know the depth of the water nor will you know the condition of the road under the water, and may be swept downstream. If your vehicle is suddenly caught in rising water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.
  • Do Not Walk Through Moving Floodwaters: Currents can be deceptive. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. Use a pole or stick to ensure that the ground is still there before you go through any areas where the water is not flowing.
  • Stay Away From Power Lines and Electrical Wires: Electrical currents can travel through water. Turn off the power to your home at the fuse panel. If this is not possible, turn off or disconnect all electrical appliances. Call 911 to report downed power lines.
  • Be Alert to Gas Leaks: Immediately turn off the gas to your house before a flood. Don't smoke or use candles, lanterns, or open flames unless you know the gas has been turned off and the area has been ventilated. If you smell gas, contact your gas provider and call 911.
  • Stay Clear of Unstable Stream Banks: People, especially children, have died in dry washes from collapsing dirt.
  • Keep Children Away from Flood Waters, Ditches, Culverts, and Storm Drains: Flood waters carry fluids from dead animals and human produced sewage.
  • Watch for Animals, Especially Snakes: Small animals that were flooded out of their homes may seek shelter in yours.
  • Never Make Charcoal Fires Indoors: Carbon monoxide exhaust kills. Use camping stoves, generators or other gasoline powered machines outdoors.
  • Clean Everything That Got Wet: Floodwater may be contaminated with sewage and chemicals from roads, farms, factories, and storage buildings. Spoiled food, flooded cosmetics, and medicine can be health hazards. When in doubt, throw them out.

Flood Warning System

As part of our Emergency Operations Response Plan, Connect-CTY is a mass notification system that allows the City to contact all businesses and residents in the community within minutes in the event of an emergency.   Based on weather reports from the National Weather Service, our goal is to initiate a Connect-CTY call when severe weather conditions headed towards our community are no less than twenty (20) minutes out.  Flood watches (when conditions are right for flooding) and flood warnings (when flooding is imminent) will be issued by Connect-CTY. After receiving this telephone alert, you should tune to your local television or radio for further updates.

Don't Wait for the Next Storm to Purchase Flood Insurance!

A home within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) has a 26% chance of experiencing a flood during the life of a 30-year mortgage. But even if your home or business is not located in one of these areas, just a few inches of floodwater can create devastating financial losses.

Highland Village is a member of the National Flood Insurance Program, which makes it possible for Highland Village residents to obtain federally backed flood insurance. Property owners and renters may purchase flood insurance through their local property and casualty insurance agents.

Rates are set by the Federal government and do not differ from company to company or agent to agent. These rates depend on many factors, including how much insurance is purchased, what it covers, the date and type of construction of your home, along with your property's level of flood risk.

There are two types of coverage which can be purchased separately:

  • Structural coverage: Covers everything that stays with a house when it is sold, including the furnace, cabinets, built-in appliances, and wall-to-wall carpeting.
  • Contents coverage: Covers furniture and other personal possessions except for money, valuable papers, etc.

The City of Highland Village is currently a participating member in the NFIP program, which allows our residents to obtain flood insurance through the NFIP program. In the near future, the City will be submitting an application for a flood insurance premium reduction under the Community Rating System (CRS).

Tips to Protect Your Home From Flooding

  • If your building has a basement or other floor below ground level subject to seepage or subsurface flooding, install drain tile and a sump pump.
  • If your building has a slab foundation, install a low floodwall, berm or other barrier to keep water from reaching the building walls.
  • Install a floor drain plug, standpipe, overhead sewer or backup valve to prevent sewer backups.
  • Elevate and/or relocate electrical panel boxes, furnaces, water heaters, and washers/dryers to a location less likely to be flooded.
  • Keep materials like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheetings, and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing.
  • If flooding is likely, and time permits, move valuable/irreplaceable items (photos, antiques, upholstered furniture, stuffed toys, mattresses, etc.) that are most damaged by floodwaters up to a higher level.

Help Reduce Our Drainage Problems

Proper street drainage cannot occur when our stormwater drains become clogged. Stormwater may sit for hours or days, waiting for the drains to clear. In some cases, yard ponding will cause or aggravate basement flooding. Flooded streets and yards can cause or aggravate health and safety problems and disrupt traffic. You can help reduce drainage problems in Highland Village by:

Highland Village's open and natural areas including Double Tree Ranch and many of our parks near the Lake provide many natural and beneficial functions in our community, including:

Floodplain Development Requirements

Highland Village's Code of Ordinance requires that areas designated as FMAs (Flood Management Areas) remain in their natural state unless improvements are permitted by the City. A City permit is required to do any of the following in Highland Village's floodplains:

Always contact the City's Building Permits & Inspections Department at (972) 899-5093 before doing any work in a floodplain. If you see construction or filling in a floodplain but no permit sign is posted, please contact us at the above number. Legal action may be taken against those who do not get a permit before building or disturbing land in a flood-prone area.

Substantial Improvement Rules

A substantial improvement is when the value of an addition, alteration, repair or reconstruction project exceeds 50% of the existing building's market value. The National Flood Insurance Program requires that buildings undergoing substantial improvements be brought up to Highland Village's current floodplain ordinance standards. This would mean that if a house is flooded, has a fire, is hit by a tornado, or is otherwise damaged so that the cost of repairs is more than 50% of the value of the building before the damage, then that house must be elevated 2 feet above the base flood level.

Several other regulations pertaining to new construction and substantial improvements to buildings in special flood hazard areas are outlined in City Ordinance No. 97-749. Any person found in violation of these rules shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, subject to a fine in a sum not to exceed $2,000 for each offense.

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