Hays County part of Regional Flood Planning Group

Staff Reports

Hays County Courthouse, TX – Following massive and devastating floods in 2013, 2015, and 2017, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 8 in 2019 initiating the first-ever statewide flood planning effort. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) later designated 15 planning area regions across the state including the Region 11 Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning Region. Hays County is part of Region 11, led by the Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning Group (RFPG). Hays County Commissioner Lon Shell, Pct. 3, represents the counties in that group.

The purpose of the Guadalupe RFPG is to provide comprehensive regional flood planning and develop a regional flood plan while also estimating the funding required to implement the recommended solutions to protect against the loss of life and property.

“We will identify flood risks, establish flood mitigation and floodplain management goals, and recommend strategies and projects to reduce flood risks in our communities,” Shell said of the RFPG. “After the historic flooding we experienced here in Hays County, it is imperative to discuss these issues and create a plan that will benefit all residents in the Guadalupe Basin well into the future.”

To aid in flood mitigation planning, the RFPG will host a public meeting on August 4 in Wimberley to learn about flood-prone areas that need to be addressed and flood management evaluations/projects that need to be developed. Shell said community insight is valuable in helping the Guadalupe RFPG to better address the flood mitigation needs of all communities throughout the region.

“It is also critical that the projects are included in the regional flood plan so that they can considered for state funding,” he said.

This planning meeting is open to the public and will be held immediately following a regularly scheduled RFPG meeting. The public and media are invited to attend.

See the meeting details below:

RFPG Public Meeting

Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at 4 p.m.

Wimberley Community Center

14068 Ranch Road 12

Wimberley, TX 78676

For more information, please visit the Guadalupe Regional Flood Plan website at: www.guadalupeRFPG.org.