Following the severe flooding on July 4, the San Angelo City Council on Tuesday unanimously authorized staff to apply for federal assistance through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) and directed staff to pursue strategies to address flood-prone properties throughout the city.
The discussion focused on how to manage properties located in floodways and floodplains, particularly those repeatedly impacted by flooding and now considered unbuildable due to risk.
Operations Director Patrick Frerich led a presentation explaining the risks posed by these areas and the federal tools available to help mitigate future flood damage.
“We have in the city what is called a designated floodway throughout our town,” Frerich told the council. “This is a floodway that is authorized and allocated by FEMA, and it has certain restrictions along with it.”
He explained that FEMA maps designate three flood risk zones, depicted in the image below.
Emergency Watershed Protection Program
Due to the July 4 flood, which qualifies as a major flooding event, the city is now eligible to apply for assistance under the EWP, a federal program administered by the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The program offers two primary types of support. Frerich referred to the categories as “Armoring and Buyout” to simplify the discussion.
Armoring, which funds infrastructure improvements to protect public and private facilities from future flooding, erosion, and stormwater damage.
Buyouts, which provide funding for the voluntary purchase of properties repeatedly damaged by flooding.
Both types of projects are eligible for a cost-sharing structure, with the NRCS covering 75 percent of project costs and the city responsible for the remaining 25 percent. The city must submit a Letter of Request to begin the application process, which includes site evaluation by NRCS and formal approval for selected projects.
There is a 60-day window from the date of the event to submit an application, making the council’s action time-sensitive. Once a letter is submitted, NRCS has another 60 days to evaluate proposed projects.
Voluntary Buyouts and Community Use
Frerich explained that the Buyout portion of the program could help the city acquire high-risk properties—voluntarily and with fair compensation—to reduce public safety risks and long-term infrastructure costs. The city could then convert these properties into green space, detention basins, or other forms of flood mitigation infrastructure.
“The cool thing about this program is when we’re negotiating, they utilize that CAD [Central Appraisal District] value as a value for the property,” Frerich said. “So homeowners are not negotiating or bargaining with negotiators—we’re using an established market value, per the CAD, pre-flood, to start that conversation.”
He noted that focusing solely on areas south of the Loop, there are already 110 properties within the floodway with a combined CAD value of approximately $12 million. Addressing such a high volume of properties all at once would be costly for the city without federal support.
Frerich also emphasized that the buyout portion of the program is entirely voluntary—no homeowners will be forced to sell their property—and that any properties acquired through the program will be legally restricted from future development to preserve their flood mitigation purpose.
Beyond the EWP program, city staff are also reviewing updated flood mapping, infrastructure planning, and possible longer-term strategies such as land-use changes and zoning updates in vulnerable areas.
The motion to authorize the application passed unanimously.
