Floodplain Changes: Appeals and Comments

The City of Austin is currently involved in two large floodplain map update efforts: the Austin-Travis Lakes HUC study, which includes the Onion Creek watershed, and the San Gabriel Watershed which includes Upper Brushy, Lake Rattan and South Brushy Creek watersheds.

We welcome public input on the preliminary floodplain maps during the 90-day appeal and comment period. Information provided through this process can result in more accurate maps and better inform the community and its residents of flood risks.

Download the Preliminary Maps

Onion Creek Watershed (Austin-Travis Lakes HUC Study)

Please use these PDFs to make an appeal or comment. If you intend to print them, they are 36 inches by 26 inches at full size. Use the index map to identify which PDF you need.

There are also two interactive maps available for general information about where the floodplain has changed, but they are not suitable for making an appeal or comment.

• Interactive map with general overview of changes (City of Austin web site)
• Interactive map with detailed changes (FEMA web site)

Upper Brushy, South Brushy, Lake and Rattan Creek Watersheds
(San Gabriel Watershed Study)

Please use these PDFs to make an appeal or comment. If you intend to print them, they are 36 inches by 26 inches at full size. Use the index map to identify which PDF you need.

There are also two interactive maps available for general information about where the floodplain has changed, but they are not suitable for making an appeal or comment.

• Interactive map with general overview of changes (Williamson County web site)
• Interactive map with detailed changes (FEMA web site)

Where to Mail Your Appeal or Comment

Please submit your written appeal or comment along with the required supporting data to the person indicated on the chart below by April 18, 2018, for areas in Travis and Hays counties and by May 14, 2018, for areas in Williamson County.

For questions in other communities, please contact your local official.

What is an Appeal?

An appeal is a formal written objection to the addition/modification of base flood elevations/flood depths, special flood hazard area (SFHA) boundaries, or zone designations depicted on the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

You should find your property or area of interest on the preliminary maps to determine if any changes to the floodplain affect you. Areas eligible for appeal include:

• Streams with changes to base flood elevations (Zone AE areas),
• Shallow flooding areas with changes to base flood depths (Zone AO areas),
• Streams with changes to SFHA boundaries, and/or
• Modification/addition of zone designations.

Supporting Documentation

Your appeal must be accompanied by data and documentation indicating that the proposed new or modified floodplain information shown on the preliminary FIRMs is scientifically or technically incorrect. You must show that better methods, assumptions or data exist and provide an alternative analysis or data to show an overall change in the floodplain information. The data and analyses must be prepared by an engineer licensed to practice in Texas.

The appeal will be reviewed to determine whether the information submitted is scientifically and technically sound and should result in a change to the proposed base flood elevations, base flood depths, SFHA boundaries or zone designations shown on the preliminary maps.

What is a Comment?

A comment is an objection to a base map feature modification/addition or a change in the text of the revised Flood Insurance Study report. Comments usually involve changes to items such as road locations and road names, corporate limits updates, etc. If possible, please submit a map or other materials showing more up-to-date information if you intend to make a comment.