[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6161204,"mediaKeyId","5443252-5053a877d3fca9b023008a3271b371f5","parentId",5443252,"title","Texas Water Development Board, Kerr County staff brief residents on NFIP, permits and substantial-damage rules","audioSeconds",1477,"startMs",1635000,"endMs",3112000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5443252-5053a877d3fca9b023008a3271b371f5&start=1635&end=3112","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5443252-5053a877d3fca9b023008a3271b371f5/thumbnail_1635000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6161204/Kerr-County/Texas/Texas-Water-Development-Board-Kerr-County-staff-brief-residents-on-NFIP-permits-and-substantial-damage-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161204-a2560f8025e6b0cde789e8df9775206c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770631979&Signature=PvH5H5XrXzqcLQbnanBO4B6sh0~Q63V3md5QuRM-Aosj5ijV3uUQlIYrUIpa~NuIPfl48IBlYPX9EiZU6fqeBOU-hApSOwkwYDGVmCzPcIdh407I71k6AT8AIONrXo5A8lPyKGnKDVn5WONBi8hMEbVP-c77~9ckBLKGCcPBptcaCoSqtF0thgNCZcemy6XJWmiNFmOJ6SwU0NhBTqBqSOY80ShvNXFs4aMy1zir8gtlkNL2olcWDD6hfuU0BRdCnuIGiK9SKNJhAbp2dy0rzeWJSYC040Lt9cXwJNygpSgHYEq1bgllig8hL-otOjOXHs19MWoqpeM8vTDMS~xGnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kerr County, Texas","date","2025-07-23T02:30:56.497Z","article","KERRVILLE, Texas — Representatives from the Texas Water Development Board joined Kerr County staff to explain the National Flood Insurance Program, how communities participate, and the county’s process for substantial-damage and permitting determinations after the recent flood.

A Texas Water Development Board representative told residents the NFIP was created in 1968 to map flood hazards, set minimum development standards and provide federally backed flood insurance. The speaker said participation is voluntary for counties and cities but provides residents access to federally backed insurance and can affect eligibility for federal grants or loans. “When you're not a participating community... residents that live within your community no longer have access to that federally backed insurance,” the TWDB representative said.

County staff explained categories used to assess damage and the county’s process for handling permits. Officials described three broad groups: structures clearly outside the regulatory floodplain; structures inside the floodplain whose finished floor elevation already meets the current one-foot-above-base requirement; and structures that do not meet that elevation and therefore fall into the most intensive review category for substantial-damage determinations.

A TWDB representative explained FEMA’s substantial-damage threshold: a structure is considered substantially damaged when the cost to repair equals or exceeds 50% of the structure’s pre-damage value. The presenter gave an example: a home with a $60,000 value that sustained $35,000 in damage would meet the substantial-damage definition even if volunteer labor or donated materials reduced the homeowner’s out-of-pocket cost. “You still have to consider the value of that repair,” the TWDB representative said, because donated labor does not change the repair value for the determination.

County staff urged residents with damage to register with the Texas Department of Emergency Management’s Individual State Assessment Tool (I-STAT) and to follow up with FEMA, including visits to the Disaster Recovery Center. The county noted FEMA had established a Disaster Recovery Center at Kerrville First Baptist Church and that the location is expected to move to B.T. Wilson Elementary; FEMA will issue a press release before the move. Staff also said providing elevation certificates or surveys for homes above the base-flood elevation can fast-track permits when applicants can show finished-floor elevations meet the required one-foot margin.

Officials reminded residents that permits and elevation certificates are administrative tools the local floodplain administrator uses to determine compliance and to document substantial-damage or substantial-improvement calculations. The TWDB presenter offered technical assistance and model ordinance language to help counties and cities remain in the NFIP and explained that communities that do not participate may lose access to certain federal funding and insurance for residents.

Ending: TWDB staff said they would be available after the presentation to meet with residents and county staff for follow-up questions and guidance on permits, substantial-damage determinations and program participation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kerr County Informational Meeting, July 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Texas Water Development Board and county staff explained the National Flood Insurance Program, what it means to be a participating community, and how FEMA's substantial-damage rule (50% threshold) affects rebuilding and permitting after the flood.","taxTitle","taxId",54243,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6161209,"Kerr County outlines staged debris pickup, two burn sites and right-of-entry process",494,0,494000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5443252-5053a877d3fca9b023008a3271b371f5&start=0&end=494","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5443252-5053a877d3fca9b023008a3271b371f5/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6161209/Kerr-County/Texas/Kerr-County-outlines-staged-debris-pickup-two-burn-sites-and-right-of-entry-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161209-b65a348c6d24a9828d85be9473b09127/orig.mp4?Expires=1770631979&Signature=lDgiAJGdajCYO6AxeyLh6W2lREuXfDJ8DcVIdZKS-8Es69zNIhFyo0h3tx7M0N3r~pIi7hI1zioBvCVndm92htZ~M64Y3zBQvNbdAVToY6joykn6kU4ChaIlFwUsfe0OwGc6QE4hw~o6q7eJJAzpj4itN034JOL2kz60cOFzYzwouURSlEedtaqgvJcOnblzmRqsPaeY~acUzFKJhn-Wor08vaYtpUkmA1gNAtJXv3Q8hbS2sZ3xJfh7GbdoDH78wiZFwQJaY3-gNlcBpp4xUfIBHBm2M83s4E4gRY2GQIsXC3D9YsHbJUjeBBc5ib-4V-eSvUNs3WeAYARf5OSbJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","KERRVILLE, Texas — Kerr County officials described a phased debris-removal plan on the county website and social media that will combine contractor pick-up and controlled burning at two designated sites, saying residents who want material removed from private property must sign right-of-entry forms for contractors.

County officials said the debris collection will be “systematic.” They asked residents to separate bulky items (for example, carpet and furniture) and to expect that contractors may collect vegetative debris and bulky household items on different passes. “They will pick it up. But they ask to help as much as you can and to go quicker,” a county official said during the briefing.

The county identified two sites for grinding and burning: a city-owned parcel near the old soccer fields adjacent to the landfill and a site on Centerpoint Independent School District property opposite the school football field, which was described as about 125 acres. Debris taken from collection routes will be moved to those sites for processing, officials said. The county emphasized individuals will not be allowed to drop off material at those sites themselves; only contractors will transport debris to the burn/grind locations.

County staff said burning will be opened in segments after debris has been removed from major corridors and after cadaver-dog searches are finished. The county said it is considering opening burning “West of Hunt” first and then expanding as clearance progresses to avoid overtaxing volunteer fire departments. State help from Texas A&M Forest Service is expected to be on standby for controlled burns.

Officials said the burn method will use a tub grinder feeding material into pits with combustion assisted by forced-air “incinerator” fans. The county estimated burn volumes of “3 to 400 tons a day” per site, or roughly “6 to 800 tons a day” combined, and said burning operations could continue for “3 to 4 months” and possibly longer depending on conditions. The county said daily operations will be shut down each evening and that it intends to manage smoke and safety through the planned process.

Residents were told household trash should continue to go to regular vendors and not be placed in the storm-debris piles. If a vehicle not owned by the property owner sits on private property and the owner wants it removed by contractors, the owner must sign the same right-of-entry form and will not receive a free removal if they remove it themselves.

The county also said it will post maps, schedules and instructions to the Kerr County Facebook page, the county website and a commissioner’s social account. Officials said the state is paying for the debris removal and thanked the governor for state support that scaled up quickly after the event.

The county asked residents to be patient, noting crews prioritized search and rescue and corridor clearance before opening private-property burning and stressing the staged approach was intended to protect volunteer fire departments and public safety.

Ending: County officials said they will share schedules and pickup details online and through county social channels, and urged residents to complete right-of-entry forms if they want contractors to remove debris from private property.","Kerr County officials described a phased debris-removal plan after the recent flood, including two designated burn/incineration sites, contractor-only hauling from private property, and instructions for residents to submit right-of-entry forms for pick-up.","actionData","errors"]

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Texas Water Development Board, Kerr County staff brief residents on NFIP, permits and substantial-damage rules

Kerr County outlines staged debris pickup, two burn sites and right-of-entry process