Hale County asks residents to report flood-prone areas in drainage survey

Hale County and the Texas Water Development Board have launched a countywide survey asking residents to identify places that flood as officials work on a new Drainage Master Plan.

The survey covers both Plainview streets and rural roads across Hale County. Residents are being asked to report how often flooding happens, how deep the water gets and what impact it has on homes, roads and travel. Officials also want one survey response for each flood-affected area.

How the survey works

Plainview community and community engagement manager Christine Lockridge said the project is in the data-collection phase. The information residents provide will then be organized and submitted into the state flood-planning process.

The deadline for responses is July 31, 2026.

Why it matters

The survey is part of the county’s effort to build a Drainage Master Plan, which could help pinpoint chronic problem areas and support future flood-mitigation grant requests.

County officials have not said what projects might come out of the survey, and the size or specific use of any future grants remains unknown. But the responses could help Hale County strengthen its case for drainage fixes and other flood-reduction work.

Texas’ statewide flood plan, managed through the Texas Water Development Board, is updated every five years and is built from work by regional flood planning groups. The state’s last flood plan was released in 2024, after the framework was created in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Residents who live in flood-affected areas have until the end of July to submit their reports and help shape the county’s next steps.