According to an analysis from CoreLogic, more than half of properties in the Houston metro at high or moderate risk of flooding are not in designated flood zones.

CoreLogic found that 52 percent of residential and commercial properties in the Houston-Sugarland-Baytown metropolitan area at high or moderate risk are not within Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) zones as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Other areas in Texas that saw a high percentage of properties in high or moderate risk were Bay City and Beaumont-Port Arthur, with 57 percent and 55 percent of properties at risk, respectively.

Properties that are within SFHA zones, which are categorized as “extreme” or “very high” risk, require flood insurance if the property has a federally insured mortgage. If a property is not categorized within a SFHA zone, it is not required to have flood insurance.

According to CoreLogic’s analysis, more than 1.2 million properties are not in the SFHA zone but have high or moderate risk of flooding. This does not include risk from storm surge or flash flooding.

CoreLogic’s 2017 Storm Surge Report found that more than 283,000 homes in Houston were at risk of storm surge flooding due to hurricanes. Such damage would result in an estimated reconstruction cost value of more than $53 billion.

Total Properties at Risk by Flood Risk Level