Investigates learns more Houston-area homes are repeatedly flooding

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — In 2017, Stephen and Ellen Leventhal’s street resembled a river after Hurricane Harvey unleashed 1 trillion gallons of water across Harris County. Upon returning to their home post-evacuation, they found it unrecognizable.

“We put items on our dining room table, thinking they’d be safe,” Ellen Leventhal recalled. “But the flood knocked the table over. The worst part was losing our wedding album on our anniversary. We thought it was stored high enough, but we lost every picture. You couldn’t even walk inside; you had to crawl over debris.”

This wasn’t the first time the Leventhals experienced flooding in their Meyerland-area home. Their home also flooded during the Tax Day Flood of 2016 and the Memorial Day Flood of 2015.

“We had FEMA’s number on speed dial,” Ellen said.

The Leventhals are not alone.  investigation found that about 45,000 homes across the U.S. have repeatedly flooded, with approximately 5,260 of those in Harris County.

Repeated flooding affects everyone, even those outside flood-prone areas, as many of these at-risk homes are rebuilt using taxpayer-funded FEMA flood insurance, according to Anna Weber, a senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The National Flood Insurance Program, which insures most flood policies in the U.S., is taxpayer-backed. These are your tax dollars repeatedly rebuilding flooded homes,” Weber explained.

Harris County is a significant hot spot for Severe Repetitive Loss Properties (SRLPs), based on the NRDC’s analysis of FEMA data. With hurricane season starting soon, only 23% of the 5,259 severe repetitive loss properties in Harris County have been mitigated to prevent future flooding.

“Many people in Houston and across the country are trapped in a cycle of repetitive flooding and rebuilding. This will continue unless we make mitigation more accessible and affordable,” Weber said.

Weber noted that homeowners need to rebuild smarter after flooding, but this often requires out-of-pocket expenses.

“Flood insurance, like any insurance, aims to restore you to your previous condition, not improve it. It’s like car insurance fixing your car after damage but not upgrading it,” she said.

FEMA informed 13 Investigates that it “will distribute up to $800 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance grant funding to help reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures” during the current funding cycle.

In the 77096 zip code, where the Leventhals live, about 360 homes have experienced repeated flooding, according to the NRDC’s data analysis.

Despite the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Stephen Leventhal mentioned that they had already lost most of their belongings in the Memorial Day Flood of 2015. At that time, they chose not to rebuild, thinking severe flooding wouldn’t occur again soon and hoped to sell the land.

“After three consecutive years of flooding, we decided to tear down our home and rebuild, raising the living space six feet above street level,” Stephen said.

The couple paid for nearly all the reconstruction costs out of pocket but found it worthwhile for the peace of mind it provided.

“There was no way I was going to live in a house in Meyerland that wasn’t elevated,” Ellen said. “Many others didn’t make that choice and are fine, but I knew I wouldn’t be.”