FACT SHEET
BASTROP COUNTY FEMA REMAPPING PROJECT

Purpose of Remapping Project

Most communities in Texas have a set of maps published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which show areas susceptible to flooding during severe rainfall events. These maps are used by the National Flood Insurance Program to set flood insurance rates and are therefore called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). The maps are also used by the local community to set development standards in flood hazard areas. The current Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Bastrop County are outdated and in need of revisions. The “Mapping the Lower Colorado River Project” is a Cooperative Technical Partner activity with the partnership between the FEMA, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), and the Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition (TCRFC). The Technical Activity #04 (TA-04) of this mapping project will be publication of Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM’s) for Bastrop County. Up-to-date mapping and flood data developed from the current Corps of Engineers-LCRA study, the “Colorado River Flood Damage Evaluation Project”, will be used for the river corridor. DFIRM’s are state of the art digital mapping products that can be interfaced with other digital products and utilized by Bastrop County, and the cities of Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville, in guiding development in flood prone areas, emergency responses, and the planning, design, and construction of projects throughout the county.

Previous and Current FEMA Mapping

The original Flood Hazard Boundary Maps dated 1974 to 1977, were published by the Federal Insurance Administration (now the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA) delineating flood hazard areas in the unincorporated areas of Bastrop County and the cities of Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville. Bastrop County and the cities of Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville subsequently joined the National Flood Insurance Program and flood insurance is available to residents and businesses throughout Bastrop County. FEMA conducted a countywide Flood Insurance Study for Bastrop County and published countywide FIRM’s dated August 19, 1991 for all incorporated and unincorporated areas. The August 19, 1991 Bastrop County FIRM includes detailed flood insurance data for a portion of the Colorado River, Gills Branch, Cedar Creek and Dry Creek South.

Remapping Project Schedule

Public Information Contacts

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© 2000-2002 Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition & LCRA