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Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey

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 Harvey, like all major storms, did not discriminate. Its floods impacted poor and wealthy alike. Some neighborhoods were wiped out, while others were left untouched. And it left many wondering: could it happen again? Harvey was a so-called “500-year event.” This means that meteorologists project 1 in 500 odds that a flood of that size will happen in a given year. The incredible thing is that Harvey was the third 500-year flood in Houston in just 3 years. The odds of that happening are very long indeed. This suggests that the probability system may need to be revised, and that in the future, severe floods may be more likely. There is no “normal” in nature. It’s always changing. Nature doesn’t adapt to humans; humans must adapt to nature. Houston is located on a marshy plain. Its soils don’t drain well ... but they hardly drain at all when covered in concrete or asphalt. Houston has grown successfully, but future plans should maximize green space and minimize impermeable cover. Since its land is flat, the rivers and bayous that drain Houston are slow moving, and prone to overflow. The city must accelerate efforts to widen and improve them, and consider barriers to block storm surge from pushing water back up them. As population grows, there will be a temptation to expand into flood-prone areas. The city has been warning developers against this but should step up efforts. The good news is, with careful planning and management, Houston should be able to minimize the impact of future storms.
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