Harris County Storm Surge Inundation Zones

The Harris County Flood Control District has created a highly detailed map of storm surge inundation zones that would result from a hurricane landfall on western Galveston Island, just 50 miles southeast of downtown Houston, Texas. Utilizing elevation data derived from lidar, the district’s GIS staff created multiple polygon features based on two-foot contours that correspond to storm surge elevations for category 1 through category 5 hurricanes. The resulting information can be used as an overlay of appraisal district parcel data, enabling identification of individual residences and businesses that may be in harm’s way. This map, combined with the Emergency Evacuation Routes map from the Texas Department of Transportation, can provide Texas Gulf Coast citizens with valuable information that may save lives during future storms.

Courtesy of Harris County Flood Control District, Texas.