Travis County F.E.M.A. Map Information

The Travis County F.E.M.A. maps will not become final for a while. They are in a 90-day appeal/protest period that ends in September. Then any appeals/protests will have to be resolved before the maps are determined final. The preliminary maps are available at http://www.tcrfc.org/tcfmp/travis.shtml. In the second paragraph there is a link to the PDF versions of the maps as well as a City of Austin GIS viewer. The current maps are available at www.msc.fema.gov. Even though the elevation at Lake Travis is still 716', many communities are advising their citizens to consider the risks demonstrated in the preliminary maps and acknowledge the 722' BFE.

Now is the time for anyone abutting Lake Travis in zone "X" or in zone "AE" to get their flood insurance policies in place. Rates are nominal and you can get up to $250,000 insurance on single family residences. Once the new maps go into effect, homes not having flood insurance in place will be subject to new rates. Typically the rates average $1,000 for every foot you are in the floodplain. I know this is probably the last thing on your mind while we’re in the middle of a drought, but this is very important for everyone to know!