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In the years since Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas and Louisiana, the City of Houston has worked to rebuild, improve infrastructure and strengthen relationships with other organizations.
And the city and its leaders have worked to improve the lives of those who could be affected.
“Four years ago, Hurricane Harvey landed on the shores of Texas, dumping over 52 inches of rain upon our city and region,” wrote Mayor Sylvester Turner in a tweet on Aug. 25. “Houston is a city of doers. We will continue building a stronger and resilient city that is prepared to withstand future challenges.”
In the years since the hurricane hit, the city has completed dozens of projects to improve drainage, improve and invest in nature-based infrastructure and to elevate homes through the FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Program.
According to a newsletter from the city, over the past four years, the city dedicated $780 million to infrastructure repairs, like 42 completed capital improvement projects and nine more that are under construction. More than 120 local drainage projects have been completed and 40 more will be completed by the end of the fiscal year.
The city is updating regulations for building higher, adopting new rainfall data based on NOAA figures and seeking funding for projects that the city cannot fund on its own. Some of those include $300 million from FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant funds for projects to reduce flood damage and for regional detention for Inwood, Lake Houston Dam and North Canal, among others. The city is also seeking or has received funding for additional dredging of Lake Houston, and for local infrastructure projects.
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused 107 deaths in Texas and Louisiana, caused $125 billion in damage, and caused unprecedented flooding. The storm was so devastating that the World Meteorological Organization decided in April 2018 to avoid “Harvey” as a name for future storms that could occur in the Atlantic cycle.