Rising water from Hurricane Harvey pushed thousands of people to rooftops and other higher ground. People walk through floodwater near Interstate 10 in Houston on Sunday. And local officials have defended the city’s approach to development. And the city’s drainage system - a network of reservoirs, bayous and, as a last resort, roads that hold and drain water - was not designed to handle the massive storms that are increasingly common.Ĭertainly, the record-shattering rainfall on Houston and its surrounding area this week would have wreaked havoc even if stricter building limits and better runoff systems were in place. Growth that is virtually unchecked, including in flood-prone areas, has diminished the land’s already-limited natural ability to absorb water, according to environmentalists and experts in land use and natural disasters.
city to have no zoning laws, part of a hands-off approach to urban planning that may have contributed to catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey and left thousands of residents in harm’s way. Houston calls itself “the city with no limits” to convey the promise of boundless opportunity.
FLOOD FACTOR HOUSTON FULL VERSION
For a richer experience, you can find the full version here. This article has been optimized for offline reading on Washington Post apps.
Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript.
0 kommentar(er)
