Lasting Impacts of Hurricane Harvey

I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the flooding that has been taking place in and around Houston, TX these past few days.  Hurricane Harvey made landfall late Friday night near Rockport, TX.  Winds over 120 mph were recorded as structures were torn apart, the memories of residents blown away in just one night.  As the storm ever so slowly meandered over southeast Texas, intense heavy rain bands began to set up late Saturday and Saturday night right over Houston.  Over 15 to 20 inches of rain came down Saturday night and with additional rainfall through Sunday and Monday, rainfall totals have added up to over 30 inches in a few spots.  Thirty inches of rainfall!  To put that into perspective, the amount of rainfall some locations have received this past weekend near Houston are over their yearly rainfall averages.

There are many wondering why city officials didn't decide to evacuate the city before the storm hit.


Let's remember that the center of Harvey made landfall over 200 miles away from Houston.  ABC News spoke with Texas A & M Professor and director of the Center for Texas Beaches and Shores, Samuel Brody .  He told ABC News that Houston is prone to flooding because the city is on a 'low-lying coastal plain and the soils are clay-based, limiting drainage.'  Another factor, which Brody says is likely the biggest issue, is that Houston is a rapidly growing metropolitan area.  Brody says, 'Because of the rapid development in the city, the natural drainage pattern of the region have changed.'

Many of us may remember what happened when millions tried to evacuate before Hurricane Rita in 2005.  The interstates were backed up for days.  If over 6 million people (population of Houston) tried to leave on the interstate before the rain, the devastation and death toll would have been significantly higher.


Harvey has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, but it's important to not solely focus on that.  The center of circulation is currently just off shore, expected to make landfall again Wednesday near Beaumont, TX as a Tropical Storm.


What we need to focus on now is the continued flooding threat moving over Southeast Texas, and now moving into Louisiana.  Over 3,000 people have been rescued from rising water, with 30,000 people seeking refuge in shelters.  Both those numbers will likely climb within the next few days.  Residents have been helping residents as emergency personal have been stretched to their limits.  The help needed in Texas is going to be needed for many months, and maybe even years, to come.  It's important we remember those that were also in the direct path of when Hurricane Harvey made landfall, in Rockport, TX.  They, too, have a long road of recovery and rebuilding ahead of them.  To help, you can visit the Red Cross website, or text 'Harvey' to 90999 to donate $10 off your next cell phone bill.