Following devastating flooding from tropical storm Allison in 2001, the City of Friendswood, Texas along with FEMA and the State of Texas worked together to purchase 136 damaged homes, thus allowing families to find new homes out of the path of destruction. This “buyout” process that usually took years was completed in less than six months. How did they do this? Essentially, the City of Friendswood and its residents prepared for a disaster. Not just with sandbags and evacuation routes but with proactive measures started years before the storm struck.