📊 Environmental Assessment Report

This comprehensive report analyzes both flood risk and industrial pollution exposure for this property. The assessment combines multiple data sources including USGS elevation, FEMA flood zones, historical storm modeling, and EPA Toxic Release Inventory records.

🌊 Part 1: Flood Risk Analysis

Property Overview

This section shows the fundamental characteristics of the property, including its elevation above sea level, FEMA flood zone designation, and our calculated overall flood risk rating based on historical data and topographic analysis.

Address

13914 BUFFALO SPEEDWAY HOUSTON 77045

Building Size

1,473 sqft

Total structure area from HCAD building records.

Elevation

53.1 ft

Height above sea level from USGS data.

FEMA Flood Zone

Moderate to Low Risk - Outside 500-year floodplain

Overall Risk

Very Low

Risk based on FEMA zone and simulation.

Risk Assessment Outputs

These detailed metrics show the technical outputs from our flood risk model. They include predicted water depths at the property during a 5000-year flood event and estimated flood damage based on USACE methodology.

Risk Rating

Very Low

Flood Depth

0 ft ±0.5 ft

No flooding at current water level.

Water Surface Elevation (WSE)

N/A

Water surface elevation data not available.

Area Inundated

N/A

Data not available

Nearest Bayou Stage

N/A

No nearby bayou within monitoring range

Depth-Damage Estimate (HCAD Valuation)

Property not flooded at current water level. No damage to calculate.

Depth-Damage Estimate (Neighborhood Comparison)

Property not flooded at current water level. No damage to calculate.

Analysis Method

COG Bathtub Model

Raster-based flood inundation query

Flood Simulation

This simulation shows whether the property would flood based on a 5000-year flood event with 3m (9.84ft) water level. Use the interactive tool to explore different scenarios.

✅ Property Would Be Safe

Safety Margin: 43.1 feet
Severity: Safe

Adjust Flood Simulation

The analysis above uses default settings (5000-year flood, 3m/9.84ft water level). To explore different flood scenarios with interactive maps, return to the main tool:

Open Interactive Analysis Tool

Flood Risk Recommendations

Based on the property's flood risk profile, here are specific action items to consider.

FEMA Zone X (minimal hazard) - flood insurance available at preferred rates.
Review the interactive flood simulator to understand how different rainfall events could affect this property.
Contact Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) for drainage projects and flood information.

🏭 Part 2: Industrial Pollution Exposure

Property Pollution Ranking

Moderate

Higher pollution than 65% of Houston homes

This ranking compares pollution levels within 2 miles of this property against 10,000 randomly sampled Houston metro properties. Lower percentiles indicate higher pollution exposure.

Industrial Pollution Nearby (Last 10 Years)

125 thousand lbs

High

19.2x more than typical Houston property
≈ 6 dump trucks of chemicals within 2 miles

Total chemical releases from all industrial facilities within a 2-mile radius over the past decade (2014–2024). Data from EPA's Toxic Release Inventory tracking air, water, and land discharges.

💨 Air Pollution (Last 10 Years)

125 thousand lbs

High

25.8x more than typical Houston property

Chemicals released into the air from nearby facilities over 10 years. Includes both fugitive emissions (leaks, evaporation) and stack emissions (smokestacks, vents). May affect local air quality.

💧 Water Pollution (Last 10 Years)

464 lbs

High

Most Houston properties have none nearby

Chemical discharges to surface water (bayous, streams, drainage) from industrial facilities within 2 miles over the past decade. May impact local waterways and drainage systems.

❤️ Why It Matters

High chemical activity nearby can indicate industrial zones, truck traffic, or potential odor and noise issues. These factors may affect air quality, long-term property desirability, and neighborhood character. This data helps you understand the industrial footprint around your property.

🏙️ Houston Metro Benchmarks

Comparison with typical Houston properties (based on 10,000 randomly sampled homes). All measurements are for chemicals released within a 2-mile radius.

Period	Total	Air	Water
Typical Houston Property (2014-2024)	6,524 lbs	4,822 lbs	0 lbs
This Property (2014-2024)	125,042 lbs	124,578 lbs	464 lbs
Typical Houston Property (2024 Only)	2 lbs	1 lbs	0 lbs
This Property (2024 Only)	42,968 lbs	7,877 lbs	50 lbs

📊 How This Property Compares to Houston Metro

Based on a random sample of 10,000 Houston properties, this chart shows the distribution of pollution levels across the metro area. The highlighted bar indicates where this property falls compared to other homes. Lower percentiles mean higher pollution exposure.

0-9thMost Polluted

9.9%

10-19th

10.1%

20-29th

9.9%

30-39th

10.1%

40-49th

9.7%

50-59th

10.2%

60-69th

70-79th

5.8%

80-89th

4.3%

90-100thLowest Pollution

34.2%

Higher pollution than 65% of Houston homes

Each bar's width represents the percentage of Houston homes in that pollution range. This property ranks in the 30-39th percentile (higher than average pollution).

Top chemicals released near this property (past 10 years):

Copper compounds, Ammonia, Copper And Copper Compounds, Chromium, Nickel

View the full list of 11 chemicals below.

Chemicals Released (2014-2024, 10-Year Total) (11 chemicals)

#	Chemical	CAS#	Air (lbs, 10yr)	Water (lbs, 10yr)	Total (lbs, 10yr)
1	Copper compounds	N100	61,515 lbs	95 lbs	61,610 lbs
2	Ammonia	7664-41-7	45,966 lbs	0 lbs	45,966 lbs
3	Copper And Copper Compounds	N100	11,995 lbs	45 lbs	12,040 lbs
4	Chromium	7440-47-3	3,012 lbs	54 lbs	3,066 lbs
5	Nickel	7440-02-0	1,230 lbs	61 lbs	1,292 lbs
6	Propylene oxide	75-56-9	339 lbs	0 lbs	339 lbs
7	Manganese	7439-96-5	198 lbs	73 lbs	271 lbs
8	Copper	7440-50-8	191 lbs	53 lbs	245 lbs
9	Cobalt	7440-48-4	115 lbs	54 lbs	169 lbs
10	Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7))	N040	16 lbs	27 lbs	43 lbs
11	Lead	7439-92-1	0 lbs	1 lbs	1 lbs

Top chemicals released near this property (2024 only):

Ammonia, Copper And Copper Compounds, Chromium, Nickel, Manganese

View the full list of 8 chemicals reported within 2 miles for 2024.

Chemicals Released (2024 Only) (8 chemicals)

#	Chemical	CAS#	Air (lbs/yr)	Water (lbs/yr)	Total (lbs/yr)
1	Ammonia	7664-41-7	4,290 lbs	0 lbs	39,326 lbs
2	Copper And Copper Compounds	N100	3,378 lbs	12 lbs	3,390 lbs
3	Chromium	7440-47-3	61 lbs	5 lbs	67 lbs
4	Nickel	7440-02-0	56 lbs	7 lbs	63 lbs
5	Manganese	7439-96-5	23 lbs	18 lbs	41 lbs
6	Copper	7440-50-8	30 lbs	3 lbs	34 lbs
7	Propylene oxide	75-56-9	26 lbs	0 lbs	26 lbs
8	Cobalt	7440-48-4	14 lbs	5 lbs	20 lbs