Houston Needs To Unpave

[protectionist]

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Harvey, tied with Hurricane Katrina for the most damage done ($ 125 Billion) in US history. Harvey also resulted in 68 deaths (directly) + 39 more indirectly. (40 - 60 in of rain)

While this is not the only cause, the paving over of soft ground contributed greatly to the flooding.
Houston has seen rapid urban development, with absorbent prairie and wetlands replaced by hard surfaces which rapidly shed storm water, overwhelming the drainage capacity of the rivers and channels.Between 1992 and 2010, almost 25,000 acres of wetlands were lost, decreasing the detention capacity of the region by four billion gallons. However, Harvey was estimated to have dropped more than fifteen trillion gallons of water in the area.

The Katy Prairie in western Harris County, which once helped to absorb floodwaters in the region, has been reduced to one quarter of its previous size in the last several decades due to suburban develpment, and one analysis discovered that more than 7,000 housing units have been built within the 100-year floodplain in Harris County since 2010.

If somehow Houston could unpave all this paving, it would be a lot better off. Here comes September. Oh boy.

 

[skookerasbil]

Agree but the climate nutters will disagree and say that until we eliminate fossil fuels and go green, that would be a waste of time and effort and, of course, money!!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Harvey, tied with Hurricane Katrina for the most damage done ($ 125 Billion) in US history. Harvey also resulted in 68 deaths (directly) + 39 more indirectly. (40 - 60 in of rain)

While this is not the only cause, the paving over of soft ground contributed greatly to the flooding.
Houston has seen rapid urban development, with absorbent prairie and wetlands replaced by hard surfaces which rapidly shed storm water, overwhelming the drainage capacity of the rivers and channels.Between 1992 and 2010, almost 25,000 acres of wetlands were lost, decreasing the detention capacity of the region by four billion gallons. However, Harvey was estimated to have dropped more than fifteen trillion gallons of water in the area.

The Katy Prairie in western Harris County, which once helped to absorb floodwaters in the region, has been reduced to one quarter of its previous size in the last several decades due to suburban develpment, and one analysis discovered that more than 7,000 housing units have been built within the 100-year floodplain in Harris County since 2010.

If somehow Houston could unpave all this paving, it would be a lot better off. Here comes September. Oh boy.

Out of curiosity do you live in the Houston area?

 

[AZGAL]

Phoenix has too much pavement and as a result is as hot as hell in the summer.

 

[protectionist]

An old resident of Houston once told me > "In the old days, there wasn't so much concrete and paved roads. There was more dirt, grass bushes and trees. That used to allow the rainwater to go down into the ground, or get soaked up by the vegetation.
Now, with all that vegatation gone, and hard ground in its place, the water has nowhere to go. It just piles up on top of the ground."

I said "Yeah, that's called a flood."

 

[protectionist]

Phoenix has too much pavement and as a result is as hot as hell in the summer.

It is the hottest city in America - also because of its low elevation.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

An old resident of Houston once told me > "In the old days, there wasn't so much concrete and paved roads. There was more dirt, grass bushes and trees. That used to allow the rainwater to go down into the ground, or get soaked up by the vegetation.
Now, with all that vegatation gone, and hard ground in its place, the water has nowhere to go. It just piles up on top of the ground."

I said "Yeah, that's called a flood."

As a lifelong Houstonian I can say he's somewhat right.
The biggest problem is subsidence. The more we pump water out of the water table the more the city of Houston sinks.
They pumped a crap load of ground water out just to build downtown.
A shitload of liberals have decried the lack of effort to control Our floodwaters,which is total bullshit.
Houston has worked on flood control second only to the Mississippi levee system.
We've now started a new flood protection project that vastly improves our main flood control which consists of the Addicks and Barker reservoir system.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

An old resident of Houston once told me > "In the old days, there wasn't so much concrete and paved roads. There was more dirt, grass bushes and trees. That used to allow the rainwater to go down into the ground, or get soaked up by the vegetation.
Now, with all that vegatation gone, and hard ground in its place, the water has nowhere to go. It just piles up on top of the ground."

I said "Yeah, that's called a flood."

As a lifelong Houstonian I can say he's somewhat right.
The biggest problem is subsidence. The more we pump water out of the water table the more the city of Houston sinks.
They pumped a crap load of ground water out just to build downtown.
A shitload of liberals have decried the lack of effort to control Our floodwaters,which is total bullshit.
Houston has worked on flood control second only to the Mississippi levee system.
We've now started a new flood protection project that vastly improves our main flood control which consists of the Addicks and Barker reservoir system.

Oh....left out what they're doing.
They're digging out the reservoirs making them far deeper,we're talking thousands of acres and thirty foot plus deeper.

 

[Crick]

I assume you're aware that the odds of storms like Harvey have increased.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Paving isn't always a good answer. Up here, paving roads requires constant re-paving because when it freezes-thaws the paved roads craze and crumble. But, I have no doubt that the businesses that win the state contracts to keep repaving roads are "special" and somehow related to the state officials who award those contracts. Better to grade them after break-up and just before winter sets in.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I assume you're aware that the odds of storms like Harvey have increased.

Why?
Are high and low pressure systems going to stall along the Gulf coast more often?
If so please tell me why. That way I can prepare for the upcoming disaster.

 

[Crick]

With increasing global temperatures, the energy available for storms increases as does the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

 

[Sunsettommy]

With increasing global temperatures, the energy available for storms increases as does the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

Harvey was kept in place at the Texas coastline for a time because of TWO troughs which is why it stalled, thus kept adding moisture from the Mexican Gulf.

That was the real reason for the high rainfall totals.

 

[Hossfly]

With increasing global temperatures, the energy available for storms increases as does the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

Harvey was kept in place at the Texas coastline for a time because of TWO troughs which is why it stalled, thus kept adding moisture from the Mexican Gulf.

That was the real reason for the high rainfall totals.

B-b-b-b....but the global warming! How can you dismiss it?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

With increasing global temperatures, the energy available for storms increases as does the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

Harvey was kept in place at the Texas coastline for a time because of TWO troughs which is why it stalled, thus kept adding moisture from the Mexican Gulf.

That was the real reason for the high rainfall totals.

You're wasting your breath.
I've explained the dynamics of Harvey too many liberal fruit loops yet they still cry man made climate change.

 

[Crick]

I am aware that Harvey sat in place for a long time. We are all aware as it led our local and national newscasts every day for over a week.

I will not say and have not said that global warming has caused any particular storm. I will say that global warming is increasing the odds for storms with more precipitation and higher winds. Therefore, as I just said a couple posts ago, the odds for another Harvey like storm have increased due to global warming. I know it's about as subtle as a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but try to keep up, eh?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I am aware that Harvey sat in place for a long time. We are all aware as it led our local and national newscasts every day for over a week.

I will not say and have not said that global warming has caused any particular storm. I will say that global warming is increasing the odds for storms with more precipitation and higher winds. Therefore, as I just said a couple posts ago, the odds for another Harvey like storm have increased due to global warming. I know it's about as subtle as a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but try to keep up, eh?

Get back with us in ten years.

 

[Crick]

I truly doubt it will take that long to demonstrate.

 

[Hossfly]

I am aware that Harvey sat in place for a long time. We are all aware as it led our local and national newscasts every day for over a week.

I will not say and have not said that global warming has caused any particular storm. I will say that global warming is increasing the odds for storms with more precipitation and higher winds. Therefore, as I just said a couple posts ago, the odds for another Harvey like storm have increased due to global warming. I know it's about as subtle as a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but try to keep up, eh?

Get back with us in ten years.

AOC sez we'll all be dead in 13 years from something.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I truly doubt it will take that long to demonstrate.

Do y'all ever get sick of being wrong?