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Oct 2, 2018

After natural disasters, this small Texas city is putting the brakes temporarily on development

Wildfires scarred Bastrop, Texas and other central areas of the state in 2011.

by Syeda Hasan
A sign for prayer is taped to the base of the fireman's statue in front of the Bastrop Volunteer Fire Department September 7, 2011 in historic downtown Bastrop, Texas.
A sign for prayer is taped to the base of the fireman's statue in front of the Bastrop Volunteer Fire Department September 7, 2011 in historic downtown Bastrop, Texas.
Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

As more communities across the country face flooding, wildfires and other natural disasters, some are starting to ask questions about new development. In Bastrop, Texas, a small city outside of Austin that has seen rapid growth, officials have paused new construction. The city wants to use this time to update its regulations to try to prevent damage from flooding.

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