It has been two years since Hurricane Harvey flooded tens of thousands of homes in our area.
Since then, local and state regulations have changed to try and mitigate future natural disasters.
That includes a new law that ensures people know a home’s flood risks and flood history before moving in.
Governor Greg Abbott signed the law earlier this summer, which goes into effect Sept. 1.
The state law requires sellers to disclose if a home is located in a 100 year floodplain, a 500 year floodplain, a flood pool, in or near a reservoir, and whether that home has flooded before.
Previously, homeowners only had to disclose if a home was in a 100 year flood plain when they listed their properties on the market.
However, experts say floodplain maps aren’t a perfect indicator of a home’s flooding potential. They also don’t factor in land development or changing weather patterns..