Are you in the new flood plain?

After Tropical Storm Allison flooded neighborhoods that had never flooded before, officials decided it might not be a bad idea to redraw Harris County flood plain maps — and now, after three years of work, the new maps are out. Sure, big deal, right? Well, yeah, if you live in or own one of the 10,000 structures that have been added to the flood plain, it could be a pretty big thing.

People in the areas newly added to the flood plain — which include big pieces of Bellaire and West U., among others — face higher flood insurance rates if they don't buy it before the new maps become official on June 18. "A lot of mortgage and lending companies require you to have flood insurance if you are in a 100-year flood plain," Heather Saucier with the Harris County Flood Control District told KPRC. "We're estimating that a policy owner could save anywhere from $50 to $1,000 a year by grandfathering in."

You can check out the new flood maps and search for your address on the maps online. And as the county is reminding everyone, just because your property isn't in the flood plain according to the map doesn't mean it won't flood — this is southeast Texas, after all, and everything is at risk. If you have questions about flood insurance, try FEMA's FloodSmart.gov.

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Photo: flickr user laanba