Houston Delays Vote On New Building Regulations After Harvey
HOUSTON (AP) — City leaders have delayed for a week a vote on new building regulations that will dictate how high new homes and other structures must be elevated to avoid floodwaters.
The new regulations come in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which flooded thousands of homes in the nation's fourth largest city.
Under a proposed rule, new structures in the 100-year and 500-year flood plains would be constructed two feet above the ground or above the projected water level in a 500-year flood, an event in which 17 to 19 inches of rain falls in 24 hours.
The city's current rule only applies to property in the 100-year flood plain.
The vote delay was requested during Wednesday's city council meeting.
Harris County, where Houston is located, approved similar new rules in December.
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