I lived through Harvey.

On Day 3 of the storm, I biked downtown to see the flooding for myself that’s where I snapped that photo. Harvey was intensified so was Irma by warmer than average water in the gulf and ocean respectively. This fueled development, winds, and rain. Houston has been hit by 3 500 year storms in 3 years. Understanding what ‘normal’ is allows us to develop resilient cities.

If buildings were built out of the 500-year flood plain thousands of homes would have been spared. A 1996 study had a $400 Million proposal to solve the flooding that occurred.

The Netherlands formed the Delta Commission 100 years ago to move people out of areas that flood. We have developed into our flood plains.

New development is best outside of the 500-year flood plain.

Furthermore, buildings back with energy efficient appliances, programmable thermostats, LED bulbs, ultra low flow toilets, and faucets will save home owners up to $,1000 a year in utility costs.

Look for Energy Star and Water Sense labels and save $$$.