As flooding becomes an increasingly common and destructive feature of Texas life, housing experts are calling for the creation of a statewide, voluntary buyout program to move residents out of the most high-risk areas.
The experts say Texas needs a bold and urgent solution as around 5 million people — one of the highest numbers among US states — live or work on floodplains, and climate change is bringing more intense rainfall. Galveston, Texas, for instance, now endures nearly 14 floods annually, a dramatic increase from virtually none in the 1950s.
“That’s why the buyout approach is necessary — it’s the only way ...