Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 46

The Brazos River in Richmond is at Gage Elevation 12.1 feet. The region continues to monitor TS Nicholas. Based on the latest forecast, the biggest threat for the Lower Brazos River watershed is localized flood impacts due to heavy rainfall and intensities of 3 to 4 inches per hour. Flash flood conditions, including street ponding and rapid rises in drainage systems are possible. The WGRFC’s current forecast is showing the Brazos River staying below Action Stage peaking around Gage Elevation 12.1. The forecast includes the next 48 hours of rainfall and is subject to change based on the actual rainfall amounts received.

The 7-Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) is showing the lower Brazos River Watershed receiving widespread 2 to 10 inches with areas receiving isolated higher amounts. Although this is the 7-day estimated totals, the majority of this rainfall should occur Monday through Wednesday.  Based on the current forecast, no flooding due to the Brazos River through Fort Bend County is anticipated. As mentioned, the current threat from Nicholas is localized flash flood conditions resulting in street ponding and rapid rises in drainage systems. The exact locations of the most severe rainfall and impacts are unclear. Residents across the region are encouraged to stay weather aware through their preferred source (i.e. National Weather Service, Space City Weather, and Local News).

See the attached Flood Risk Report.

As you may be aware, local weather forecasts are currently projecting potentially significant rainfall in our region.  The MUD 46 Board and operational team are closely monitoring the weather.  Recent models indicate the potential for anywhere from 3″ to as much as 12″ of total rainfall in the coming week, with potential bursts of intense rainfall in a short amount of time.  Thankfully, Brazos River levels are currently low, and the ground is dry and should be able to absorb rainfall efficiently, at least initially.

All MUD 46 drainage facilities, including supplemental pumps, are fully operational and ready to be deployed if necessary.  Your levee management and operators are monitoring the situation very closely and will take appropriate actions to manage the situation to the best of our hardware capabilities.

We encourage all residents to monitor the local forecast and take appropriate precautions, such as moving any garbage cans and parked cars off of the street prior to projected rainfall, and to never drive into high water.

The Brazos River in Richmond is at Gage Elevation 10.27 feet. The NWS forecast is calling for a sunny, dry week with rain chances possibly increasing into the weekend. The 7-Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) is showing the lower Brazos River Watershed receiving less than ½  inch of rain over the next 7 days. Based on the current forecast, no flooding due to the Brazos River through Fort Bend County is anticipated.

The National Hurricane Center is watching the tropical disturbance that is located in the Gulf of Mexico. The system is expected to move northeast toward the Florida panhandle but we are continuing to watch for changes in the forecast. At this time, there are no immediate threats to Southeast Texas; however, we are in the peak of our normal Hurricane Season. Residents along the Texas Coast are encouraged to stay informed through their preferred source (i.e. National Weather Service, Space City Weather, and Local News).

See the attached Flood Risk Report.

The Fort Bend County MUD No. 46 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2021 on September 28, 2021 at 11:00 AM at 9 Greenway Plaza, Ste. 1000; Houston, Texas 77046 and via Zoom Meeting at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87685156752. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property.

The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

Click here to read notice.

Visit the Missouri City Office of Emergency Management’s “Missouri City Ready” website for hurricane preparedness tips, hurricane evacuation information and sign up to receive local emergency alerts: https://www.missouricityready.com/

Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for Fort Bend County’s Emergency Alert Program. This system enables Fort Bend County to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods.

You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how.

On April 1st, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) released the first official communication on the redesign of the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”)’s rating system.

The new pricing methodology, known as Risk Rating 2.0, utilizes the latest technology available to assess the flood risk of a property. Phase 1 of the new program begins on October 1, 2021.

In its announcement, FEMA shared a state-by-state breakdown of Risk Rating 2.0’s impact on flood insurance premiums. According to FEMA, Texas will see the following impact:

• 14% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate decrease in their flood insurance premium;
• 79% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate increase in their flood insurance premium that could range from $0 to $10 per month;
• 3% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate increase in their flood insurance premium of $10 to $20 per month; and
• 4% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate increase in their flood insurance premium greater than $20 per month.

We do not yet know how Risk Rating 2.0 will impact flood insurance prices in Fort Bend County MUD No. 46. However, if you already have flood insurance, you are grandfathered into how fast your flood insurance premium can increase. It is federally mandated that a flood insurance premium cannot increase by more than 18% per year. Therefore, we encourage you to get flood insurance. You can do so by contacting your home insurance provider. Since a flood insurance policy takes 30 days to go into effect, you must purchase your policy by September 1, 2021, for your policy to become effective prior to the effective date of Risk Rating 2.0 (October 1, 2021).

Additional information regarding risk rating 2.0 can be found at the following link: Risk Rating 2.0: Equity in Action | FEMA.gov