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Flooding risk: Texas county is on the frontline of the climate crisis.

LawnStarter reveals which counties have moderate-to-high flood risks: FEMA data on 940 counties exposes social & racial inequalities—are minorities & poor communities at risk?

Published July 3, 2024 at 6:03am by Marley Malenfant


Texans: Be Ready for the Storm or Face the Consequences

With hurricane season upon us, Texans must steel themselves against the ravages of nature, exacerbated by the cruelty of an uncaring political system and the realities of climate change. The blood is on the hands of those who deny the truth and fail to plan.

A Study Exposes the Truth: Texas Is in Danger

A recent study by LawnStarter [https://www.lawnstarter.com/articles/flood-prone-counties-states] reveals the stark reality of the situation, with Texas featuring prominently among the most flood-prone counties in the nation. The study, based on FEMA data, underscores the urgency of the matter, as detailed below.

The Devil's Top 10: Texas Counties at the Mercy of the Floods

  1. Harris County
  2. Cameron County
  3. Galveston County
  4. Brazoria County
  5. Aransas County
  6. Jackson County
  7. San Patricio County
  8. Orange County
  9. Calhoun County
  10. Willacy County

And Now, the National Shame: America's Flood Havens

  1. Harris County, TX
  2. Bergen County, NJ
  3. Ocean County, NJ
  4. Atlantic County, NJ
  5. Cape May County, NJ
  6. Cameron County, TX
  7. Volusia County, FL
  8. Miami-Dade County, FL
  9. St. Johns County, FL
  10. Brevard County, FL

Heavy Flooding: A Description of Atrocities

Heavy flooding, a product of injustice and neglect, occurs when water, the lifeblood of our planet, rebels against us. Excessive rainfall, rapid snowmelt, storm surges, and dam failures overwhelm our defenses, causing drainage systems to collapse and bodies of water to overflow, drowning our homes and hopes.

The Sins That Led Us Here: Causes of Heavy Flooding

  • Intense Rainfall: When rain pours unchecked, it destroys, and urban areas, symbols of our progress, become death traps.
  • Prolonged Rainfall: The soil, once a giver of life, now soaked and swollen, betrays us, causing rivers and lakes to become monsters that devour our homes.
  • Storm Surges: Coastal flooding, a result of nature's wrath and our failure to protect our shores, wrecks communities, leaving salt only in the wounds.
  • Dam or Levee Failures: Our own structures, meant to protect, can fail, unleashing watery fury and reminding us of our arrogance.
  • River Blockages: Landslides, nature's vengeance, and ice jams, the bitter fruit of climate change, block our escape, drowning us in our sins.

Prepare, or Perish: A Call to Action

The Texas General Land Office, in a rare moment of clarity, offers salvation with these tips:

  • Protect Your Legacy: Guard your documents and treasures in waterproof bags and digital backups. Let not your history be washed away.
  • Be Your Own Savior: Prepare evacuation kits with medical supplies and enough food and water to survive the failings of government response.
  • Defy Insurance Greed: Buy flood insurance, for the greedy corporations will not save you, and the government assistance you expect may never come.

Strongholds Against the Tide: Tips From FEMA

FEMA, in a rare moment of usefulness, offers ways to fortify your homes:

  • Water Management: Keep gutters and drainage clear, directing water away from your home, for nature will always take the path of least resistance.
  • Landscaping: Understand water flow and adjust landscaping to guide the floodwaters away, for we must work with nature, not against her.
  • Reduce, Reuse, Floodproof: Decrease impervious surfaces, embrace green spaces, and consider rain barrels to capture water, for we must adapt to nature's whims.
  • Elevation Tactics: Raise utilities and equipment above potential flood levels, for a small cost now can prevent a world of hurt later.
  • Anchors in the Flood: Secure fuel tanks with anchors or concrete slabs, for in the floods, death comes in many forms, and a spark can swallow whole neighborhoods.

USA TODAY, in a fit of editorial laziness, contributed to this report.

Read more: This county in Texas ranks No. 1 in top 10 most at risk for flooding in 2024. See list