Texas City, TX Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)

Section 157.45 of the Texas City Code covers the parts of the flood hazard area the code describes as having special hazards from high-velocity waters from tidal surges and hurricane wave wash. All new construction must be located landward of the reach of mean high tide. New construction and substantial improvements must be elevated on pilings and columns so the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member of the lowest floor, excluding the pilings or columns, is at or above the base flood level. The foundation and attached structure must resist flotation, collapse and lateral movement from wind and water loads acting together, using load values that each have a 1% chance of being exceeded in any given year, the 100-year mean recurrence interval.

A registered professional engineer or architect develops or reviews the structural design and certifies it.\n\nThe space below the lowest floor must be free of obstruction or enclosed only by non-supporting breakaway walls, open wood latticework or insect screening designed to collapse under wind or water loads without damaging the elevated building. A breakaway wall must have a design safe loading resistance of not less than ten and not more than 20 pounds per square foot. Heavier walls need an engineer or architect certification that collapse will result from a water load less than the base flood and that the building will not be damaged.

Enclosed space is useable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage, never human habitation.\n\nThe Floodplain Administrator, who is the Chief Building Official, keeps a record of the elevation of the bottom of the lowest structural member of every new or substantially improved structure. Fill for structural support of buildings is prohibited, and human-made alteration of sand dunes and mangrove stands that would increase potential flood damage is prohibited. Outside V zones, § 157.40(H) still requires new construction to reach seven feet mean sea level or 18 inches above the street curb, whichever is greater.