Although each case is different and amounts will vary, the differences on the way are the result of changes by FEMA and how they rate flood risks.

Vince Muniga, who is shopping for flood insurance for his home in The Woodlands, said he could not believe the quotes he’s getting.

“My homeowner’s insurance is about $1,200. And the flood insurance, I’m coming back with rates of anywhere between $1,200. The highest was more than $1,900,” Muniga said. “If I was in a flood district or where there was frequent flooding, I can understand, but I’m not.”

Starting Oct. 1, the new rates will go into place.

According to FEMA, about 14% will see a decrease in their policy per year.

The vast majority of people, 79%, will pay up to a $120 increase per year. The other 7% will pay over $120 per year more.

“So right now, let’s just say the lower valued homes are costing more where the higher value homes are costing less. They’re trying to level that out so that everybody’s paying what they should,” Donna Baker, an associate agent with Texan Insurance, said.

As for as what homeowners can expect, that’ll depend on several factors.

“They’re going to look at the bodies of water that are close to those areas. They’re going to look at the history of those areas. They’re going to look at all of those and take it in as a factor along with the elevation,” said Baker.

A local doctor said while we are on the backside of the fourth wave, we should not let our guard down and should remain cautious.

“I would say we’re really not out of the woods until we see a very, very low incidence of disease in our community,” said Dr. James McDeavitt, Executive Vice President And Dean of Clinic Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine.

McDeavitt said ideally, we’d be looking at 50 or fewer cases per 100,000 people for seven days. He said right now across the greater Houston area, that number is 290.

Doctors said vaccines will continue to stem the spread in the U.S., and while they don’t foresee another major surge, as many viruses as there still is around the world, it will still replicate in areas where the percentage of unvaccinated people is high.

“We could have a resurgence even if vaccinated well because a different variant emerges from someplace else around the world. I think it’s unlikely to happen,” said McDeavitt.

McDeavitt added it will never be a matter of flipping a switch to make COVID disappear. He said it could be a year or more before it fades into the background and becomes something we manage each year like the flu.

“Where it becomes just one more risk we have to pay attention to,” McDeavitt said.

Source: www.click2houston.com

In the Allen Field neighborhood in northeast Harris County, home after home along Darjean Street is now part of the mandatory flood buyout program.

Thirteen homes in Dolores Mendoza’s immediate family were devastated after Hurricane Harvey.

“I was shocked and pissed off like, ‘What do you mean you’re taking my house?’” said Mendoza.

Mendoza’s family has lived in this neighborhood for six generations. She said more should have been done to fix the infrastructure in the neighborhood.

She said it’s not fair she and her family members are now being forced to leave.

The county says the program is designed to move families out of areas that flood repeatedly.

Mendoza said she can move, but she’s worried about her grandmother and other elderly family and neighbors.

“She’s on a fixed income, she doesn’t have income. What are you going to do with her? Put her in a mortgage? She can’t afford that,” says Mendoza.

Shirley Ronquillo has helped many of these families through the process.

Many are mostly Latino and of mixed status. Many did not understand the legal jargon and also needed help with translation.

Some improvements have been made to the program, but Ronquillo said it’s not enough.

“Six generations of people are going to be torn apart because of this buyout, because of the negligence, of the historical negligence of our previous administrations and the lack of support for communities of color,” says Shirley Ronquillo, with the organization Houston Department of Transformation.

According to Harris County, there are seven buyout areas with just under 400 homes that are part of the program.

Homeowners are paid market value for their homes and are given money to relocate.

“It has demonstrated a need for us to do things differently and that is very much increasing the level of communication and being sensitive to the language and necessities of the communities who would be impacted, and providing information in a variety of different formats,” said Dr. Adrienne Holloway with Harris County Community Services.

So far, 87 offers have been made and 26 offers have been accepted.

The county has until August of 2024 to complete all of the buyouts or it will lose the grant money for the program.

Source: www.click2houston.com

The inmate, 29-year-old Pedro Castillo Hernandez, was wearing an orange shirt, blue jeans, and in restraints. It was discovered he was missing when U.S. Marshals did a headcount of inmates who were scheduled to be transported by air to a location in West Texas. Castillo Hernandez was in custody for illegal reentry into the United States.

Castillo was described as being 5′8″ tall, weighing about 150 pounds with a tattoo on his right arm. Authorities said he was last seen at I-45 South and Dixie Farm Road.

US Marshals and police are searching nearby areas for the inmate.

Source: www.click2houston.com