Damage Restoration Company Highlights Flood Risks in the Lakeway, TX, Area

8/4/2020 (Permalink)

Here to Help

Summary: SERVPRO of Lakeway/Westlake explains flood zones and the importance of calling a trusted restoration specialist after a flood hits.

The technicians at SERVPRO of Lakeway/Westlake are flood damage restoration experts, which is important to a community that is no stranger to massive flooding. In 2007 and again in 2018, portions of Lakeway were underwater. Lake Travis was the culprit in both instances. With full capacity at 681 ft above sea level, the lake reached 710 feet, almost three stories above peak capacity.

The truth is everyone lives in an area that runs some risk of being flooded. The question is the level of risk: low, moderate, or high.  Flood zones are indicated in a community’s flood map. According to FEMA, each flood zone explains the risk of flooding for a designated area. The flood zones serve to determine insurance requirements and costs for property owners who have federal mortgage insurance.

Know the Property’s Flood Risk

To find a community’s flood map, visit the Flood Map Service Center and search using the property’s address. This vital information can guide homeowners as they determine if they need flood insurance.

Understand the Flood Zones

According to FEMA documentation, “Flood Zones are the land area that could be covered by the floodwaters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has placed more than 20,000 communities in the United States into a category of flood zones.” The documentation provides the following information about the different risk levels of flood zones:

• High Risk Flood Zones: In high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. All home and business owners in these areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to buy flood insurance. They are shown on the flood maps as zones labeled with the letters A or V.
• Moderate to Low Risk Flood Zones: In moderate-to-low risk areas, the risk of being flooded is reduced but not completely removed. These areas submit over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding. Flood insurance is not federally required in moderate-to-low areas, but it is recommended for all property owners and renters. They are shown on flood maps as zones labeled with the letters B, C, or X (or a shaded X).
• Undetermined Flood Zones: No flood-hazard analysis has been conducted in these areas, but a flood risk still exists. Flood insurance rates reflect the uncertainty of the flood risk. These areas are labeled with the letter D on the flood maps.

Advice to Property Owners

Property owners in a high-risk flood zone are required to purchase flood insurance. Residences and businesses in moderate to low risk areas have a choice. The reduced risk means reduced premiums. Keep in mind that 20% of all claims were paid out to flood victims in the moderate to low risk flood zones. Consider the reality that five 100-year floods have swamped Central Texas over a five-year period extending from 2013 to 2018. Flood insurance might not be such a bad investment.

Reasons for Increased Flooding

According to FEMA, flooding is more prevalent in certain areas for several reasons:

• Changes in weather patterns
• Urban and suburban development
• Urban drainage from streets, curbs, underground drains, and drain channels
• Deforestation and reduction in vegetative covering, which affects the natural drainage system

Property owners in the flood plain of Lake Travis or who live in any high- to moderate-risk flood zone should keep a vigilant eye on the weather. Daily rainfall measuring several inches is well documented in the Austin area.

• 3.40 April 06, 2019
• 3.67 May 04, 2018
• 5.08 August 26, 2017
• 5.20 May 25, 2015
• 4.22 October 13, 2013
• 7.04 September 07, 2010

Daily rainfall in these amounts stresses both natural and man-made drainage systems. When urban drainage systems become overwhelmed, residents in neighborhoods in flood zones that have never flooded suddenly find their homes underwater. When that happens, call in water and storm damage experts.

Conclusion

SERVPRO of Lakeway/West Lake provides a rapid response to flooding and storm damage. When a storm hits an Austin home or business, help is needed immediately. A quick response time prevents secondary damage, which reduces restoration costs. The highly trained storm damage specialists are leaders in the storm and water damage industry. The advanced training, expertise, and hands-on experience means that technicians can quickly dry a damaged home and restore it to its pre-flood condition.

For more information about flood and storm damage restoration, visit the SERVPRO of Lakeway/West Lake website at https://www.SERVPROlakewaywestlake.com. Contact the office by phone at (512) 261-4790.