Flooding is a growing problem in many counties within the nation, amounting to an estimated $6 to $8 billion in annual flood damages. Intense rainfall and deadly flooding this spring and summer have accentuated the need for updated flood data in the Metroplex. Research also indicates that nearly two-thirds of the FEMA flood maps are more than ten years old, with some Tarrant County maps being over 25 years old. FEMA has launched the Map Modernization program to redraw the maps that predict where these floods are likely to occur. These floodplain maps are essential tools for determining flood dangers, deciding who needs flood insurance, calculating flood insurance rates, and ensuring that new development will be safe from flooding.

Phase 1 of the study, scheduled to be completed in about a year, will generally be confined to the watersheds in the northeastern quadrant of the county. Phase 2 will complete the mapping of the County floodplains by the fall of 2006.