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Below the Waterlines: Houston After Hurricane Harvey

Below the Waterlines: Houston After Hurricane Harvey

By: Houston Public Media
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Hurricane Harvey was a seminal moment in the history of Houston. Five years later, where do things stand? Houston Public Media examines efforts to make the region more resilient to better prepare for the next big storm.

℗ & © 2025 Houston Public Media Biological Sciences Political Science Politics & Government Science
Episodes
  • 5. What we learned

    5. What we learned
    Aug 30 2022

    Key Takeaways

    After spending the past several months trying to answer whether Houston is better prepared for the next major storm, we discovered the answer was not so simple. Over the course of this podcast, you’ve heard reporters at Houston Public media analyze data, speak with residents who are still suffering and ones who have recovered and moved on, and ask local officials some hard questions. In this last Bonus episode, hear our reporters share their key takeaways, surprises, and what questions still linger.
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    21 mins
  • 4: The Fallout of Buyouts

    4: The Fallout of Buyouts
    Aug 23 2022
    Experts and decision-makers agree: home buyouts are more important than ever. Flood risk for most Houstonians is only getting worse in the wake of climate change and urban development. The problem is that buyouts are a bureaucratic nightmare. Reporter Sara Willa Ernst takes us to two buyout neighborhoods and shows us how people get caught up in that painful process.SHOW NOTES:
    • Study on the inequity in buyout outcomes - Kevin Loughran & James R. Elliott at Rice University
    • Study on the value of buyouts before houses are built - Kayode Atoba, Galen Newman, Samuel Brody, Wesley Highfield, Youjung Kim and Andrew Juan, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Institute of Disaster Resilience
    • Harris County’s SAFE Fund for undocumented buyout participants
    • H.R.1917 - Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act, filed by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher
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    20 mins
  • 3: Flood control goes green

    3: Flood control goes green
    Aug 16 2022
    Unlike the traditional gray infrastructure, which relies on concrete, green infrastructure uses nature to slow down, absorb, and filter floodwaters. After the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey, we look at what role green solutions can have in making Houston more flood resilient. From floating wetlands to an abandoned golf course-turned-nature preserve, we visit innovative green solutions that are being tested across the county.Show Notes:
    • Exploration Green
    • Coastal Prairie Conservancy
    • Harris County Flood Control District Raingarden Project
    • Bayou City Waterkeeper: Making nature-based solutions work in Houston's Black and brown Communities
    • EPA: Green Stormwater Infrastructure
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    17 mins
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