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1/ 69K+ buildings flooded in Harris County during Harvey. 36K in areas FEMA says are likely to flood. Thousands more flooded in 2015 & 2016.
2/ Michael D. Bolton’s home has flooded more than four times since 2008. Something is clearly wrong here. propub.li/2zbAGRg 
3/ There is a govt program that is supposed to help people like Michael. It’s set up to buy homes that repeatedly flood so ppl can relocate.
4/ Govt buyouts of these properties can reduce future flood risk AND save money on claims after the next flood.
5/ For ppl like Michael, it’s their only way out. But another prob: folks who need or want a buyout won't get one. propub.li/2lJdFQ6
7/ Under these rules, despite his home flooding four times, Michael doesn’t qualify for buyouts. He’s outside the 100-year floodplain.
8/ He’s not alone. There are 3,300 homes on priority buyout list. And only ~3,100 homes have been bought out since 1985.
9/ In one watershed, despite millions spent to improve drainage & thousands of buildings flooded yr after yr, only 56 have been bought out.
10/ In 8 major Harris County watersheds, we found that damaged buildings in 4 recent major floods far outpaced home buyouts.
11/ Yet some officials would rather redevelop floodplains than let them revert to green space—an unprecedented use of federal buyout money
12/ A state commission is asking for ~$20 billion in federal funds for buyouts + home elevations in Texas. Will Congress approve? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
13/ Here's the full story: propub.li/2lJdFQ6
14/ ...and don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter: propub.li/2iocSTo
