1 in 6 Texans live or work in flood hazard area, report shows
An alarming report on the risk of major flooding in Texas received both praise and criticism.
The plan was ordered under a new state law in response to 2017's Hurricane Harvey.
A draft report says one in six Texans lives or works in a flood hazard area. That's about five million people.
Nearly 900,000 homes and buildings are at risk.
The Texas Water Development Board is proposing more than $54 billion in flood control, public education and state regulatory changes.
"We're seeing flooding, we're seeing fires, we're seeing drought, better building codes and resilient building codes can help on all of those aspects that we're all facing," said Cyrus Reed from the Sierra Club's Lone Star chapter.
Home builder groups and environmentalists have opposing views on the possibility of more state control over building codes and land use.
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"We're really concerned about the state really getting involved in land use like this. That would be unprecedented and a huge growth of government," said New Munoz of the Texas Association of Builders.
The board will review public comment over the next two months and could adopt a final flood control plan in August.