What does the major flooding mean for the future of Houston?? (Allen: new home, construction)

[Taynxtlvl]

Almost nobody moves to Houston and doesn't realize the city floods. (Even if it's for a job, it is widely known that Houston floods) That's like part of the deal. It's like moving to LA or San Francisco and not thinking they have earthquakes. Or when i moved to Dallas knowing they have tornado risks. Many areas of Houston haven't flooded and won't so those this stay will likely look to relocate to those areas.

[biggunsmallbrains]

Originally Posted by Nodpete

Just last night on the news, the mayor ( I believe it was him, not sure) mentioned that the population of Houston has increase by so many people over the last few years that more and more open land is being paved over, etc. and that there is no place for the water to go. Then in the next sentence he said, and I'm paraphrasing "We expect growth to reach 3 M people in the next decade". So obviously, that will cause MORE FLOODING problems and yet they will go ahead and do it. It's a case of doing the same mistake over and over and hoping for a different outcome. It defies logic.

Greed trumps logic.

[LoneStarJerry]

Originally Posted by TommyCarcetti

Yeah because the no-tax climate denying Republicans will come up with a sustainable solution to prevent floods from happening in the future. Give me a break. Republicans don't even appear to understand the difference between pervious and imperialism surfaces and their relation to floods.

Oh please just stop, people keep trying to turn this political and it's sickening. Those out there who are affected by this just want to be safe again, and have this disaster over with. Both democrats and republicans constantly play this game of well if we were in charge it would have been different. The hurricane was coming no matter who the mayor was. My prayers for all of you in Houston and the surrounding areas!

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by mike650i

I still don't think it's clear how much damage there is and where. Certain subdivisions may become unsellable. Areas that weathered the storm well may be more in demand.

Hopefully, the city learns and plans for this event instead of just considering it a fluke. Less housing development and more drainage.

I don't think Bellaire and Meyerland would become unsellable. These are the most risky areas on a flood zone map. They get flooded and flooded every year, but prices never go down in those areas.

[LuvDesertEmpire]

^ interesting, so no doubt that flood free neighborhoods are going to sky rocket in value.

[Taynxtlvl]

Houston has been flood prone since forever the same way New Orleans is and the same way Manhattan is. The same way LA is waaaaay over due for a major quake. Hopefully the city and surrounding areas will work together to manage drainage and building things higher in the necessary places.

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by LoneStarJerry

Oh please just stop, people keep trying to turn this political and it's sickening. Those out there who are affected by this just want to be safe again, and have this disaster over with. Both democrats and republicans constantly play this game of well if we were in charge it would have been different. The hurricane was coming no matter who the mayor was. My prayers for all of you in Houston and the surrounding areas!

Amen.

What we need (both as Texans and as Houstonians) is both state and local leadership that will forcefully advocate for our interests in both Washington and Austin. I'm not sure either Abbott or Turner are those guys. Without any specific proof, it seems like the region has to scrape and claw for state and Federal dollars moreso than some other peer regions.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by cBach

I agree but once the Federal dollars dry up it won't be good.

Same thing happened to New Orleans. Lots of people out, rebuilding brought a boom, now a bust.

Houston is NOT New Orleans cBach, Houston will capitalize, rebuild and prosper .There is a much stronger can do mentality in Houston as opposed to New Orleans, on top of more expertise...

[Mr. Clutch]

I don't see a huge short-term population loss at all. A few thousand people with the ability to do so might leave the region in the immediate aftermath, but most people don't really have the ability to just pick up and move in a situation like this - most have jobs, families, lives in the region.

What I do see, assuming that some move isn't made to seriously address drainage, is a slow decay of the region's competitiveness long-term. This decay will be exacerbated by the (equal i'd say) issue that the region hasn't figured out how it wants to approach transportation long-term. If both of those issues aren't seriously addressed in the near-term, I do believe it will be detrimental for the city on a long-term basis.

But short term huge exoduses to Dallas and Austin? Pshhhhh. This isn't Katrina where most of the city was devastated. I know we don't have final numbers, but anecdotally 95% of my friends and family are high and dry with power and supplies, and I suspect that proportion is similar for most people. Certain areas of the region are devastated, but it's nothing like what New Orleans saw overall.

[RCH99]

If every single one of the asshats and bottom feeders that poured into this city over the last 10 years would in fact leave, the vast majority of us would be cool with that.