General

Construction of Drainage and Levee Improvements

The following is an update on the FBCLID 2 project to rehabilitate and improve drainage ditches and levees around the District.

Ditch A Widening Phase I – The contractor is almost complete with widening Ditch A to create 58 acre-feet, or 19,000,000 gallons, of additional flood storage inside the levee.  Work has been delayed for several months due to Brazos River flood conditions outside the levee.  The flooding outside the levee causes additional water to remain in the bottom of Ditch A.  Now that Brazos River levels have dropped and Ditch A has dried out, work can resume in the bottom of the channel.  The contractor just needs to add slope paving around the storm sewer outfalls, complete final grading, and reestablish turf.  The contractor has been delayed by weather for several months, so the District has authorized weekend work, including this weekend on Sunday, July 27.  The contractor may also perform Sunday work in early August to complete construction and wrap up work in Ditch A.  The District will send an update if work is planned for any Sundays in August.

South and East Levee Raising – Raising of the South and East Levees is complete.  The contractor is still working on final cleanup and reestablishing turf.  This includes re-grading the drainage swales at the toe of the levee to ensure water does not pond and quickly drains after storms.  Repairs are also being completed on the levee access driveways that were damaged during construction.

Ditch E Rehabilitation – Ongoing wet conditions have created slope stability issues in upper Ditch E.  Over the next few weeks, the contractor will demobilize from Ditch E to allow time for the slopes to dry.  This will also allow the contractor to place additional resources in Ditch A and complete the scope of work noted above as soon as possible.

Ditch C Repairs – The contractor has completed slope repairs in Ditch C-1 and is performing final cleanup. The contractor continues to work on slope repairs in Ditch C.  Construction is wrapping up on the downstream area of slope repair and crews will continue working upstream, toward Highway 6, as they repair failures in the ditch bottom and on the side slopes.  If drier weather continues, Ditch C slope repairs will be complete in August.

The attached map highlights all project locations.  Please be aware of equipment and traffic when traveling through these construction zones.  FBCLID 2 can be contacted directly with any questions or concerns: www.fbclid2.com/contact.

Factory testing has started on the seven large pumps for the Third Pump Station.  The test for Pump #1 was successful, and it will be delivered to Sugar Land in early July.  FCBLID 2 has approved overtime and weekend work for the construction contractor to make Pump #1 operational as soon as possible.  Based on the latest schedule, the first pump will be operational by the end of August.  It will take approximately one month to complete the testing procedure for all seven pumps.  The current schedule estimates all new pumps will be in operation by the end of September.

FBCLID 2 appreciates your patience as the District works to complete this critical flood control project.  Additional details are available at: www.fbclid2.com/third-pump-station-construction/.  Please contact FBCLID 2 directly with any questions or concerns: www.fbclid2.com/contact.

FBCLID 2 Pump #1 at Test Facility

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is changing how flood insurance rates are calculated for your home and property. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is attempting to make flood insurance rates more equitable through an initiative called Risk Rating 2.0. FBCLID 2 is a FEMA-accredited levee system, so residents currently receive a “Preferred Rate” for flood insurance which typically costs less than $600 per year. The existing “Preferred Rate” will remain available through September, but on October 1, 2021 all new NFIP flood policies will be issued under the new pricing structure. Information provided by FEMA states that 23% of all policies will see an immediate decrease and 66% of policies will see a cost increase of less than $120 per year. As existing “Preferred Rate” policies expire, the cost will escalate up to 18% each year until the premium reaches the new Risk Rating 2.0 rate.

FEMA has not finalized how Risk Rating 2.0 will calculate new flood insurance rates for homes inside a levee like FBCLID 2. The District will continue to closely monitor all information released by FEMA and provide updates to the residents. FBCLID 2 is also working with Fort Bend County and the City of Sugar Land to monitor these upcoming flood insurance changes and how they will impact the community. FBCLID 2 encourages residents to check with your insurance carrier and discuss policy options for your property. For additional information check out www.FloodSmart.gov, the official website of the NFIP.

I live inside the FBCLID 2 levee. Should I buy flood insurance?

The answer is, Yes! Many property owners may be unaware that private home insurance policies do no cover losses caused by rising flood waters. The common example of rising flood waters in Fort Bend County is created by the Brazos River, but FBCLID 2 was created specially to mitigate that threat. However, very strong, localized rainfall in any part of FBCLID 2 can potentially overwhelm the design standards of the drainage system and trap water in streets and yards, eventually reaching into homes. The damaged caused by this type of loss is not included in a standard home insurance policy and would only be covered by purchasing a flood insurance policy that is supported by the NFIP.

While not a common occurrence, localized rainfall of 12+ inches in a day has occurred and will continue to occur across Southeast Texas. In recent memory, Hurricane Harvey dropped more than 30 inches of rain in Sugar Land and more than 50 inches in parts of Harris County. Looking further back, the 2016 Tax Day flood dropped more than a foot of rainfall in portions of Harris County, and in 2001 Tropical Storm Allison dropped 40 inches of precipitation on parts of Southeast Texas.