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I worry about Houston for more than one reason. I wonder what will happen to Houston, if the oil industry collapses or is replaced by some eco friendly fuel. I think the city needs to diversify there economy a little more.
I also worry about Houston and Hurricanes, it's only a matter of time before the "real" big one happens. Sure there have been close calls, and there was Ike in 2008. It is only a matter of time before another Katrina or Wilma bears down on the Gulf Coast, and if it follows Ike's track then Houston may be the next New Orleans. Otherwise I think Houston is really shaping up to be a nice city, I have been a little shocked by some of the great pics I have seen and it looks really nice.
By time Hurricanes usually reach the Houston area, they are only about a category 1 or 2.
This maybe true. But you use the stats that you got and since people do not live there, it's still unfortunately counted against Houston's size. Besides, who says that any other city with that much amount of square miles wouldn't have open space, flood plains, and water? Houston is not alone in this. Just about every city with that many square miles has open land or undeveloped land inside the city limits. Even LA which is physically very big has areas inside the city limits that are not developed.
Basically, what this shows is how irrelevant city population numbers really are.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not just making an exception for Houston, I was speaking about all these cities.
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
4,084 posts, read 12,681,773 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerichoHW
I worry about Houston for more than one reason. I wonder what will happen to Houston, if the oil industry collapses or is replaced by some eco friendly fuel. I think the city needs to diversify there economy a little more.
I also worry about Houston and Hurricanes, it's only a matter of time before the "real" big one happens. Sure there have been close calls, and there was Ike in 2008. It is only a matter of time before another Katrina or Wilma bears down on the Gulf Coast, and if it follows Ike's track then Houston may be the next New Orleans. Otherwise I think Houston is really shaping up to be a nice city, I have been a little shocked by some of the great pics I have seen and it looks really nice.
Houston's economy is diversifying. I guess the news just hasn't caught up outside of Texas yet.
Houston will never be the next New Orleans. The last hurricane to hit Houston before Ike was Alicia in 1983, though with weather patterns changing we will likely see increased activity in the Gulf for a while, so yes, another big one is inevitable. But Houston isn't built like New Orleans, which more or less sits in a bowl and is surrounded by water. Houston is pretty far inland and takes up a lot of land area so some areas will be harder hit than others when --not if-- a hurricane occurs. Yes, we are at risk due to our poor drainage, numerous bayous, and general flatness, but not as much at risk as say, Galveston and the Bay Area. Finally, Houston won't be another New Orleans because it's not in Louisiana. For one thing, unlike New Orleans, our government actually works, for the most part.
Houston's economy is diversifying. I guess the news just hasn't caught up outside of Texas yet.
Houston will never be the next New Orleans. The last hurricane to hit Houston before Ike was Alicia in 1983, though with weather patterns changing we will likely see increased activity in the Gulf for a while, so yes, another big one is inevitable. But Houston isn't built like New Orleans, which more or less sits in a bowl and is surrounded by water. Houston is pretty far inland and takes up a lot of land area so some areas will be harder hit than others when --not if-- a hurricane occurs. Yes, we are at risk due to our poor drainage, numerous bayous, and general flatness, but not as much at risk as say, Galveston and the Bay Area. Finally, Houston won't be another New Orleans because it's not in Louisiana. For one thing, unlike New Orleans, our government actually works, for the most part.
In regards to the hurricane situation, would you be at all worried if the eye of one of these storms came up through Galveston Bay.
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
4,084 posts, read 12,681,773 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerichoHW
In regards to the hurricane situation, would you be at all worried if the eye of one of these storms came up through Galveston Bay.
It depends on the strength of the hurricane. My neighborhood is close to two bayous, but it's on higher ground and doesn't normally flood. It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and has weathered many a storm (pun intended ) with the original houses still standing. If I lived in a low-lying area, or in Galveston, or along the bay in the southeastern quadrant of the city, I would be very worried. Flash flooding occurs more frequently during the spring and summer (hurricane season) and worries me more than hurricanes, especially after I almost got stuck in the waters on the freeway and drowned two summers ago!
Can we please sell Texas back to whoever we bought it from/fought for it?
Can we just give coldwine back to wherever she came from so we will no longer have to listen to the incessant whining & b*tching about the nation's second most populous state?
Maybe she should change her name to OldWhine... would be so much more appropriate!
I worry about Houston for more than one reason. I wonder what will happen to Houston, if the oil industry collapses or is replaced by some eco friendly fuel. I think the city needs to diversify there economy a little more.
Didn't I hear somewhere the medical industry was actually Houston's largest employer now? The TMC specifically.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JerichoHW
I also worry about Houston and Hurricanes, it's only a matter of time before the "real" big one happens. Sure there have been close calls, and there was Ike in 2008. It is only a matter of time before another Katrina or Wilma bears down on the Gulf Coast, and if it follows Ike's track then Houston may be the next New Orleans. Otherwise I think Houston is really shaping up to be a nice city, I have been a little shocked by some of the great pics I have seen and it looks really nice.
Didn't the eyes of both hurricane Alicia and Ike go right over the city (or very close)? And it's fine today...
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) with the original houses still standing. If I lived in a low-lying area, or in Galveston, or along the bay in the southeastern quadrant of the city, I would be very worried. Flash flooding occurs more frequently during the spring and summer (hurricane season) and worries me more than hurricanes, especially after I almost got stuck in the waters on the freeway and drowned two summers ago!
