Flooding & Floodplains ESPAÑOL

Flooding Facts 

• Floods have caused a greater loss of life and property and have disrupted more families and communities in the United States than all other natural hazards combined.
• Flooding is the #1 Natural Catastrophe Worldwide.
• The serious and immediate flood can happen at almost any time, almost anywhere, it does not take a catastrophic event to create flooding which results in catastrophic loss.
• The catastrophe of a Hurricane Beulah is unprecedented for any major metropolitan U.S. cities. But it doesn't take a catastrophe for flooding to occur. A storm of this magnitude in our region will happen again. It's only a matter of when.

Did you Know?

• Everyone lives in a flood zone.
• You don't need to live near water to be flooded.
• Floods are caused by storms, hurricanes, and water back-up due to inadequate or overloaded drainage systems, dam, or levee failure, etc.

Flood Insurance

Who needs it? EVERYONE!

The effects of flooding do not end when the water recedes. Flood Insurance can help you get back on your feet.

Everyone living in a participating community of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can buy flood insurance. Hidalgo County and the incorporated cities within the county are participants in the NFIP. Just because your home is not mapped within the 100-year floodplain does not mean that you are free from the potential to flood. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) show areas subject to flooding and are meant to help determine the risk of flooding for a property. However, flooding from sources that are not identified on the FIRMs is possible and occurs often in Hidalgo County. Many homes flood because excess storm water cannot drain into a storm drainage system fast enough to prevent localized ponding from reaching the inside of a home. On a national basis, one-third of the flood loss claims are from properties located outside of the mapped 1% (100-year) floodplain. This does not mean the FIRMs are wrong. It simply means that not all flooding sources are calculated when determining risk.

Know your Risks

It Doesn't matter where you live...you could flood at any time!

The NFIP is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA produces the FIRMs, which are based on technical analyses, studies, and historical flooding information. The FIRMs contain a variety of information, including flood risk information, special flood hazard areas, Base (or 100-year) Flood Elevations, areas subject to inundation by the 1% (100-year) and 0.2% (500-year) floods along primary channels, and common physical features like streams, highways, roads, and railroads. FIRMs can usually be viewed at your local community map repository site - typically, your local planning or engineering office - or you can view FIRMs by contacting your homeowner’s insurance agent or mortgage company. For a nominal charge, FIRMs can be ordered from FEMA.

Flood Insurance Must Be Purchased Separately

Remember that flood insurance is not included in your standard homeowner's policy - you must purchase it separately - and the cost is relatively inexpensive (especially if your home is not located in the mapped 1% floodplain). Flood insurance is sold through private insurance companies and is financially backed by the federal government. Contact your insurance agent for more information about purchasing flood insurance. Having flood insurance will not keep you from flooding, but it will help you recover. So remember, everyone lives in a flood zone, but most people don't know their degree of flood risk. The district recommends that all residents purchase flood insurance.

Our Jurisdictional Authority

Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 does "not" have sole jurisdiction over flood-related matters in Hidalgo County. In fact, there are many other entities involved that have special interests in their areas of responsibility. For example, each city has a local floodplain administrator for the municipality's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), where each city has its own criteria for design of its drainage systems - primarily the design of storm sewers and street drainage, but also stormwater detention.

In the unincorporated areas of Hidalgo County, the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, General Manager, Raul E. Sesin, P.E., C.F.M., is the Floodplain Administrator.

Where does the water go?

Rio Grande Valley Main Drainage System
(Printable Map - Click On Map)