By Natalie Frels
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March 28, 2025
To view the unique discover, click on right here. To: All Businesses Teams and People Date of publication: March twenty eighth, 2025 That is to provide discover that the Texas Normal Land Workplace (GLO) will conduct an analysis as required by Government Order 11990 and Government Order 11988, in accordance with HUD laws at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Administration and Safety of Wetlands to find out the potential impact that Hays County single household catastrophe restoration Home-owner Reimbursement Program (HRP) and Home-owner Help Program (HAP) actions in wetlands and surrounding Federal Flood Threat Administration Commonplace (FFRMS) floodplains could have on the human atmosphere. The GLO was allotted HUD funding to assist handle unmet housing wants because of the 2024 Texas extreme storms and flooding, together with Hurricane Beryl (Beryl). On Might 15, 2024, a request was declared for a significant catastrophe because of extreme storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding starting on April 26, 2024, and continued for a number of weeks. From July 5 to July 9, 2024, Beryl triggered in depth wind injury, flooding, and energy outages throughout a number of areas, significantly alongside the Texas Gulf Coast and inland communities. Wind gusts exceeding 90 mph and rainfall totals surpassing 15 inches in some areas led to important injury to properties, infrastructure, and companies. The State of Texas Neighborhood Growth Block Grant Catastrophe Restoration (CDBG-DR) will fund two residential housing packages for eligible county residents whose properties sustained injury from the 2024 disasters. The HAP gives funding primarily for low-to-moderate-income owners with direct development help for storm-impacted owner-occupied single-family residential housing. The actions lined by this program embrace demolition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, manufactured home substitute, or new development and their related elevation, mitigation, utility, web site enhancements, and relocation help, as wanted. The HRP gives funding for low to moderate-income owner-occupied single-family housing (together with manufactured housing). It permits owners to be reimbursed for sure out-of-pocket bills together with Small Enterprise Administration catastrophe dwelling loans, incurred for repairs to their dwelling together with elevation, wells and septic wants, reconstruction, rehabilitation, manufactured home substitute, and mitigation. The dimensions of the proposed web site, proposed variety of items, and venture footprint usually are not at the moment identified, nonetheless, as particular websites are recognized, they are going to be assessed for potential impacts associated to land use, floodplains, and wetlands. Mitigation measures will probably be utilized as obligatory to attenuate antagonistic results. Inside Hays County, Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) efficient maps embrace 26,763 acres (6.2%) within the 100-year floodplain Particular Flood Hazard Space (SFHA) Zones A/AE/AO, 11,808 acres (2.7%) within the regulatory floodway, and 0 acres (0%) inside the Coastal Excessive Hazard Areas Zone V/VE. Zone X encompasses 5,689 acres (1.3%) of Hays County inside the 500-year floodplain and 388,631 acres (89.9%) of Hays County outdoors all SFHA-designated floodplains. Roughly 7,052 acres (1.6%) inside Hays County are designated as wetlands. This consists of freshwater emergent wetlands, freshwater forested/shrub wetlands, freshwater ponds, lakes, and riverine wetlands. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain will probably be decided at a site-specific degree utilizing the 0.2 p.c flood strategy (0.2PFA) or the freeboard worth strategy (FVA) when applicable. As well as, siting inside the Restrict of Reasonable Wave Motion (LiMWA)/Coastal A Zone will probably be decided on the site-specific degree. Actions inside the LiMWA will carry the identical mitigation and safety technique as siting inside a coastal high-hazard space (Zone V/VE). The floodplains and wetlands inside Hays County serve necessary environmental features that contribute to the county’s ecological well being and neighborhood resilience. These areas present floodwater storage and conveyance, serving to to soak up and gradual floodwaters, which reduces downstream flooding and protects close by properties and infrastructure. Moreover, they help groundwater recharge and discharge, sustaining native water provides and sustaining the bottom movement of rivers and streams. The pure vegetation inside these floodplains and wetlands additionally performs a key function in erosion management, stabilizing soils, and stopping sedimentation in waterways. Moreover, these areas contribute to water high quality upkeep by filtering pollution and sediments, finally bettering each human and ecological well being. In inland counties, they assist regulate watershed well being, agricultural water retention, and riparian connectivity, guaranteeing the steadiness of native water methods and ecosystems. Past their ecological significance, these floodplains and wetlands maintain intrinsic values that profit the neighborhood. They supply leisure alternatives similar to mountaineering, fishing, birdwatching, and kayaking, contributing to tourism and out of doors enjoyment. These areas additionally function instructional and scientific sources, providing alternatives for analysis and environmental training on hydrology, ecology, and resilience. There are three major functions for this discover. First, individuals who could also be affected by actions within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland and people who have an curiosity within the safety of the pure atmosphere needs to be given a chance to specific their considerations and supply details about these areas. Commenters are inspired to supply various websites outdoors of the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, various strategies to serve the identical venture goal, and strategies to attenuate and mitigate venture impacts on the FFRMS floodplain and wetland. Second, an sufficient public discover program might be an necessary public instructional software. The dissemination of data and request for public remark in regards to the FFRMS floodplain and wetland can facilitate and improve Federal efforts to cut back the dangers and impacts related to the occupancy and modification of those particular areas. Third, as a matter of equity, when the Federal authorities determines it would take part in actions happening within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, it should inform those that could also be put at higher or continued threat. Written feedback have to be obtained by GLO on the following handle on or earlier than April 14th, 2025: Texas Normal Land Workplace ATTN: David Camarena, Director Neighborhood Growth & Revitalization (CDR) Division PO Field 12873, Austin TX 78711-2873 A full description of the venture may additionally be reviewed from 9 A.M. to five P.M on weekdays on the handle above. Feedback may additionally be submitted by way of electronic mail at env.evaluations@restoration.texas.gov.