Flood Planning

Two boats running on the flooded road from Hurricane Harvey in Houston.The 2019 Texas Legislature and Governor Abbott greatly expanded the TWDB's role in flood planning. The TWDB is responsible for administering a new state and regional flood planning process with flood planning regions based on river basins. The 15 Regional Flood Planning Groups (RFPG), designated by the TWDB in 2020, submitted regional flood plans in January 2023, and submitted their amended regional flood plans to TWDB on July 14, 2023. The TWDB approved the first sets of 15 regional flood plans during the July 25, 2023, board meeting. The approved regional flood plans will be incorporated into a single state flood plan. The regional and state flood planning process will continue to recur in five-year cycles.

The TWDB is currently in the process of generating Texas's first state flood plan to be delivered to the Legislature by September 1, 2024.

Sign up for emails on TWDB's new flood programs

Flood Infrastructure Fund and other project financial assistance programs

Second Cycle Request for Application (RFA) Information (2023-2028)

Information pertaining to the Request for Application process can be found here:

  1. Request for Applications Posting (11/09/2023)
  2. Application Instructions (Updated 02/15/2024)
  3. Application Checklist (Updated 02/15/2024)
  4. DRAFT Contractor (Planning group sponsor) Task Budget (11/09/2023)
  5. Board Item Document (11/09/2023)
  6. RFPG Sponsor Designation Form (12/04/2023)

Flood Planning Region Boundaries

The TWDB designated 15 flood planning regions in Texas on April 9, 2020. Board designation of flood planning regions is required under Senate Bill 8, 86th Texas Legislature, which established a new regional and state flood planning process for the state.

Large format flood planning region map

Small format flood planning region map

Maps of individual Flood Planning Regions

Regional and State Flood Planning Rules

The TWDB completed the review of public comments received on the proposed regional and state flood planning rules. The input received from the public during the comment period was thoughtful and constructive, and resulted in beneficial changes. The October 5th, 2023 Board Item document includes attachments that describe the public comments received and changes made in response to those comments.

At the October 1, 2020 Board Meeting, the board approved the final administrative rules for 31 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 361 and 31 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 362 relating to Regional and State Flood Planning to implement Senate Bill 8, 86th Texas Legislature.

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