The Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project, or TSARP, is a joint study effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Harris County Flood Control District (the District). The purpose of the TSARP project is to develop technical products that will assist the local community in recovery from the devastating flooding, and provide the community with a greater understanding of flooding and flood risks. An end product of the study will include new Flood Insurance Rate Maps, with new delineations of Special Flood Hazard Areas.

To reiterate, the TSARP mission statement is: To assist residents of Harris County in recovery from Tropical Storm Allison and minimize damages from future floods by investigating the flood event and by developing current, accurate, and timely flood hazard information.

Using current state-of-the-art technology, TSARP will yield many products that will help us better understand our flood risk. These products will assist citizens in making important decisions, and will assist public agencies in infrastructure planning. The end result of TSARP will be a more informed and disaster resistant community-and one that is better prepared for the next "Allison."

There is no precise way to count the loss, hurt and plain frustration Harris County residents have experienced as a result of Tropical Storm Allison. There is no accurate way to measure the 22 lives the storm claimed, the priceless possessions and precious mementos it ruined, and the subsequent worry and hardship it has randomly cast upon so many families and business owners. Furthermore, there is no scientific method to calculate the sense of community lost with the dozens of neighborhoods Allison destroyed. Yet, to start placing the damage Allison caused in Harris County into perspective, consider the following facts:

• Total damages directly associated with Tropical Storm Allison are estimated to be over $5 billion in Harris County alone.
• Of the 73,000 flooded residences, some homes were completely destroyed, while over 2,800 residences sustained what is termed as "substantial damage" (damage that is 50 percent or greater than a structure's pre-flood value, not including land).
• Flooding in downtown Houston was responsible for tens of millions of dollars worth of damages to buildings, the tunnel system and related infrastructure, and parking garages - not to mention the displacement of many workers from their places of business and lost productivity.
• Four hospitals in the Texas Medical Center (TMC) were closed temporarily because of flooding and damage to electric service equipment. Although this flooding did not cause loss of life at the TMC, it certainly made situations difficult for affected patients and healthcare providers, alike. Also, of the county's two level-one trauma centers, one was closed while the other was at times unreachable due to the flooding.
• Approximately 95,000 vehicles sustained $450 million in damages in Harris County. The damages resulted from the flooding of vehicles at residences, in underground parking garages and along flooded roads and highways.
• State and local highway facilities sustained approximately $5.5 million in damages. Impassable highways and major roads paralyzed many parts of the city throughout Allison.
• About 200 Houston area schools and three major Houston college campuses sustained significant damage. Rice University and Texas Southern University experienced significant flood damage, while the University of Houston main campus was especially hard hit. Of the University of Houston's 105 buildings, 90 sustained water damage - with 55 critically affected. The total damages to area schools are estimated at over $250 million.
• Damages to Harris County's facilities have reached approximately $40.5 million, with the Criminal Justice Center facing repairs and flood proofing costs of $19.6 million. Eleven other county buildings were also damaged.
• The City of Houston has spent over $53 million to repair city-owned facilities and expects the total damage figure to approach $80 million.