Houston, TX Hurricane Risk

Houston is America's fourth-largest city and one of its most flood-vulnerable, defined by over 2,500 miles of bayous that can transform streets into rivers within hours. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August 2017 and stalled over the region, dumping more than 60 inches of rain in some areas — the largest rainfall event in US history. Over 300,000 people lost power, more than 150,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and neighborhoods like Meyerland and Greenspoint were completely submerged. Residents used kayaks and boats to rescue neighbors as emergency services were overwhelmed. Houston also endured Hurricane Ike in 2008, which caused catastrophic storm surge damage along Galveston Bay and left the region without power for weeks. Houston's flat topography means heavy rainfall has nowhere to drain, and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico creates hurricane storm surge risk for coastal communities. During Hurricane Rita in 2005, gridlock on I-45 and I-10 left evacuees stranded for 12+ hours — lead time before a storm is not just useful here, it's life-saving.