Residents Against Flooding (RAF), a local nonprofit, has been investigating local fraudulent flood maps for the last two years. A world-respected hydrologist, Dr. Steven H. Emerman, has provided expert testimony to the federal government verifying RAF’s findings. Emerman reviewed the maps that are currently allowing a 900-home residential community to be constructed on the old Pine Crest Golf Course located at 3080 Gessner Road at Clay Road in Houston.
These falsified maps:
- Make it appear that the property is no longer in the dangerous floodway nor in the 100-year flood plain
- Show the property to be in a much safer flood plain requiring significantly less drainage and detention
RAF recently hired a drone service to capture the reality of what’s on the ground compared to what’s on the revised map. The images don’t match — see in interview.
MetroNational sold the golf course to Meritage Homes. Before they did, however, they submitted the Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) through the engineering firm Jones & Carter.
“Spring Branch, known historically as a blue-collar area with older homes, is now undergoing a major revitalization and redevelopment because of its proximity to both downtown Houston and the Energy Corridor.” — Houston Business Journal, article from 2017
The Pine Crest property has been raised several feet using trucked-in fill dirt which is illegal for the 100-year flood plain. The property is now four feet higher than everything surrounding it. Schools and neighborhoods are in jeopardy from storm water run-off, much of which was previously absorbed by the old golf course land.
Revitalization and redevelopment is being forced in Spring Branch with floods. The homes surrounding the development will inevitably be subjected to perpetual flooding which the developers and real estate investors will buy up to “revitalize and redevelop.” This cycle is profitable for investors because it provides an endless amount profit with minimal investment every time it floods.
RELATED: In Houston’s flooded neighborhoods, real estate investors see an opportunity
“If you drive past this thing, you’re looking up four feet — what used to be looking down is now four feet higher. [The 900 homes] won’t flood, but everyone around it is looking at this thing and they’re scared to death.” — Ed Browne from interview pictured below.
Emerman, the hydrologist RAF hired to further analyze these maps, determined that the LOMR submitted by MetroNational (LOMR 15–06–0275P) requesting the flood map to be revised was “a gross misrepresentation of reality.” Key model inputs were used “that bore no relation to actual current or historical data.”
“…a gross misrepresentation of reality,” Emerman said.
According to Emerman, computational changes were made to create a “nonexistent split floodway” which made it appear that the Base Flood Elevation was lowered by two feet. This change made it seem that most of the property was no longer in the l00-year flood plain, allowing greatly reduced development restrictions.
“I could not discern any scientific reason as to why this would be done; however, it makes perfect sense if the motive was to achieve some sort of economic benefit for their client [the developer],” said Emerman.
No Local Accountability
After unsuccessful meetings with Harris County Flood Control to acknowledge this fraud and hold the developer accountable in any capacity, RAF submitted their complaint to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office OIG. When RAF filed this complaint earlier this year, they were told there was a six month backlog. Now due to the pandemic, it is now looking like 10 months before RAF could get a response let alone a resolution.
“Unless they reign in the developers, there’s no way [Harris County Flood Control] is going to have enough money to fix this flooding,” Browne said.
While RAF waits for a response from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which could take up to 10 months, Meritage Homes can still continue with their plans of building the 900 homes using the falsified map.
“Based on the frequency of collusion between developers and local governments, I am concerned that these revisions of FEMA flood zone maps to suit the needs of developers might be widespread,” Emerman said. “If so, this practice could render FEMA flood zone maps worthless.”
An audit and investigation of the model inputs have been requested. RAF has also presented this evidence to two members of U.S. Congress, Rep. Dan Crenshaw whose District 2 the project lies, and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher whose District 7 is downstream.
What other flood maps are being falsified for developers profits? This is just one example of how developers in Houston use the flood waters to profit. Meanwhile there is a Harvey Forgotten Survivor Caucus still fighting for the help they were promised, and floods continue to purposefully hurt the working poor.
If you work with the city or with Harris County Flood Control and would like to expose more issues surrounding our flooding problem, please email osers1115@gmail.com. You can choose to be anonymous.
More About RAF and Emerman
RAF is sincerely grateful to Emerman and for the assistance of Harriet Festing, co-founder and executive director of Anthropocene Alliance, a national nonprofit that educates and organizes individuals and communities harmed by environment abuse and climate change. She connected RAF with Emerman through the Thriving Earth Exchange program of the American Geophysical Union.
Emerman is the owner of Malach Consulting based in Spanish Fork, Utah, which provides hydrologic modeling for communities that are concerned about the impacts of urban development, mining, and logging. Emerman has an M.A. from Princeton University and Ph.D. from Cornell University. He was a professor of hydrology for 31 years, including serving as a Fulbright Professor in Nepal and Ecuador.
RAF was formed because public officials tried to blame the April 2009 neighborhood flooding solely on natural causes, ignoring TIRZ 17’s infrastructure mistakes that created the severe flooding problem. While they have continued to push for resolution of drainage issues, TIRZ 17 continues to construct projects that will move their floodwaters the our surrounding neighborhoods. Learn more.
Help Residents Against Flooding protect Houston from preventable and man-made flooding by getting connected:
1. Sign up for RAF email alerts, contact drainage.coalition@gmail.com
2. Get new website posts http://drainagecoalition.com/
3. Like RAF on Facebook.com/RAFHouston
4. Follow RAF on Twitter @HoustonRA
