Tropical storm Harvey on the way (Houston, Bellaire: purchasing, office, subways)

[crone]

Having lived through and prolly the only person here to have lost a house in Carla, comparing storms is a fools errand.

Storms have similarities and differences. Time, amounts of rain yada yada.

The difference is Houston and Harris county.

It has grown. Sure more people have been affected because there is a helluva lot more people and concrete. That widespread flooding was not much noticed when the rain fell on prairie and rice farms.

Storm assessments in the 70s predicted a Carla like storm would put 15 feet of water in 1 Shell Plaza.

Subsidence and permitting any fool with money to build whatever they damn well pleased also contributed to creating this problem. We are too far gone to resolve it now. Enjoy your cheap housing and low taxes.

When technology replaces the need for so much fossil fuel, Houston will be a ghost town anyway.

[campers]

Originally Posted by Matadora

Of course it's a disaster and no one is downplaying it. However, shame on anyone who is over exaggerating it.

No that is not what the person said. The person said it was a big disaster and that is what the news is reporting. Shame on those trying to make this out - the flooding and storm - as typical when it is far from typical.

Shame.

[campers]

FEMA director - this is probably the worst disaster in Texas history

Harvey probably worst disaster in Texas history.

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by loves2read

I agree with your comment about climate change...

But I don't think any city could handle 40 inches of rain w/o a great deal of flooding
But you have said this flooding is similar to what happened with other hurricanes...
I think, from what I have read and heard on news, that areas that have flooded in past are flooding worse under these conditions...

AND Harvey is not a hurricane, no high winds---just big tropical storm with VERY slow-moving rain bands...

How long did the rain last for the storms you mention? What was total rain fall on any given day?

You can look up the stats for all the events I lived through in Houston.

Allison was the worst flooding I have even experienced in Houston. I lost a car to that storm.

The tunnels in downtown Houston were completely filled up. The UH campus underground food court was completely destroyed...I was a student at UH when this occurred. The Texas Medical Center were evacuating very sick patients even some on life support. Many of the research labs in the TMC lost all their experimental data.

Downtown Houston was inundated with flooding, causing severe damage to hospitals and businesses. Twenty-three people died in Texas. Along its entire path, Allison caused $9 billion (2001 USD) in damage and 41 deaths. The storm dropped heavy rainfall along its path, peaking at over 40 inches in Texas. The worst flooding occurred in Houston, where most of Allison's damage occurred: 30,000 became homeless after the storm flooded over 70,000 houses and destroyed 2,744 homes

You can read about it here. Tropical Storm Allison.

We lived close to Galveston in 1983 when Alicia hit. We almost lost our house and we had no power or running water for 7 days.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by elnina

When all that is done Houston would stop being affordable, and cost of living would resemble SF or NY.
People want changes and improvements, but don't want to pay for it....

The reason why Houston is affordable is because it doesn't have any infrastructure to deal with events like this because Texas is a low taxes, low services state. In essence, you get what you pay for.

After this, people will do one of these things:
* rebuild and repeat this cycle
* sell their house and buy in a higher less flood prone area
* elevate their current house above Harvey flood line
* decide they've had it with the Houston climate and settle somewhere else

These decisions happened to New Orleans after Katrina and it caused places like Marigny to skyrocket in value while places like Gentilly declined in value whereas it was opposite before the storm. It also caused many people to leave New Orleans.

There will be a reckoning in Houston.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by cBach

Pumping stations need to be installed at all low water underpasses.

My first job was with a pumping station company so I know a lot about them
With that being said .... dream on

Grand Parkway has one underpass at FM2920 because Hooks Airport is right next to it
Guess what happened the first time it rained... the underpass flooded, 2 months after the Grand Parkway opened

[AlfredB1979]

Originally Posted by Matadora

What stats did I cite? All I said, that everyone seems to want to deny, is that Houston experiences heavy floods whenever certain types of Hurricanes/Tropical storms hit it....this is 100% predictable. Houston can't handle the heavy rains that come from storms like Alicia, Ike, Allison and now Harvey.
That's not what's at debate here. Harvey just very well may be the worst weather event to hit Texas. This does not negate anything that I have posted. Storms are becoming worse and worse due to climate change.

Any place located near sea level experiences this. It could be New Orleans or the NYC area with Sandy.

As for storms being worse, prove it. Quantify it. It's easy to toss this out, but they aren't hitting the US any more often "due to climate change" as it is.

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by campers

No that is not what the person said. The person said it was a big disaster and that is what the news is reporting.

Do try to keep up with what's being posted.

Shame on a person who tried to over exaggerate this storm by posting a hoax full of inaccuracies. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett was one of the first to react to the email, which he says is inaccurate. County officials are further asking people stop sharing the false information on social media, KHOU reported.

Emmett assured residents the city is prepared for the storm, regardless of how much rain falls.

“There’s no number,” he said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. “All you can do is be prepared for unheard of amounts of rain."

As Hurricane Harvey approaches, Houston officials warn of hoax claims

[cBach]

Originally Posted by crone

Having lived through and prolly the only person here to have lost a house in Carla, comparing storms is a fools errand.

Storms have similarities and differences. Time, amounts of rain yada yada.

The difference is Houston and Harris county.

It has grown. Sure more people have been affected because there is a helluva lot more people and concrete. That widespread flooding was not much noticed when the rain fell on prairie and rice farms.

Storm assessments in the 70s predicted a Carla like storm would put 15 feet of water in 1 Shell Plaza.

Subsidence and permitting any fool with money to build whatever they damn well pleased also contributed to creating this problem. We are too far gone to resolve it now. Enjoy your cheap housing and low taxes.

When technology replaces the need for so much fossil fuel, Houston will be a ghost town anyway.

In a sense, Houston made this bed and now they have to lie in it.

Flood infrastructure needs to be the first area of concern in Houston. Not tollways, not landing the Super Bowl, not attracting new businesses. They need to focus on retention and detention ponds, pumping stations, expanding greenbelt areas around bayour, etc...

If not, Houston will cease to be a great city. There have been floods every 6 months it seems. Citizens can't live like that...

[Cookiez17]

Venturing over from the NYC forum

I hope everyone is doing okay, I have relatives in the houston area and it looks really bad. Good luck.