[Reposting a worthwhile white paper prepared by Wendell Cox and Tory Gattis, with the Center for Opportunity Urbanism, that provides some valuable context to support informed decision-making during our post-Harvey policy discussions.
My one quibble with this paper relates to their lack of precision in describing how current detention requirements work. They state that our detention regulations “require no net increase in runoff from new developments.” It would be more precise to say that Harris County detention regulations generally restrict the flow rate of runoff leaving the site to the pre-development flow rate, but they don’t generally restrict the total amount (volume) of runoff leaving the site. The City of Houston’s detention regulations are not based on runoff volume or rates, but rather on the site’s imperviousness.]
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and the disastrous flooding, Houston has come under extreme scrutiny. Some in the global, national as well as local media assaulted the area’s flood control system and its development model, criticisms that were echoed by some in the local area.
Much of the current debate starts from a firm misunderstanding of the region’s realities. This could lead to policies that ultimately undermine the keys that have propelled the region’s success. Below is a primer to inform future discussions of Houston’s future trajectory.
Did Harvey reflect Houston’s failure or a remarkable resiliency?
Harvey was a remarkable event for which there is little precedent. The Harris County Flood Control District estimates the four-day rainfall from Hurricane Harvey to be a once in 500 to 40,000 year flooding event. Whether such events are more likely in the future, the region’s systems worked remarkably well, although they should be bolstered considerably in the future.