In April, Harris County experienced a historic series of storms; some areas were hit by more than sixteen inches of rain in a twelve-hour period. That downpour slid off the city’s roads, buildings, and tight clay soils and overwhelmed the bayous, inundating nearly 10,000 residences, killing eight people, and prompting a presidential disaster declaration. Any town would be stressed by such a storm, but Houston has become more vulnerable due to the paving and groundwater use that has come with rapid sprawl.
Infographic
The Houston Flood
How the Bayou City has become so vulnerable to flooding.