1. Hurricane Harvey
A Look at Government’s Role in Managing the Aftermath of the Natural Disaster

2. Hurricane Harvey The Statistics
The Likelihood of a Storm like Harvey
52” of Rain – the most rain in U.S. history
In the hardest hit areas with 52” of rain –1 in 40,000 year storm
In areas with 35” to 45” of rain – 1 in 10,000 year to 1 in 20,000 year storm
The Damage of Hurricane Harvey to Houston
~60 deaths (30 deaths in Harris County)
Most drowned in vehicles caught in high water
136,000 homes flooded in Houston
30,000 people evacuated to Houston shelters after the storm
Estimated costs of recovery: $150 billion

3. Hurricane Harvey Rescue, Recovery, and Rebuilding
It is rare to witness the cooperation of all levels of government and of private citizens in America, but we do see this type of cooperation in a natural disaster
A natural disaster is akin to a massive war, like WWII, where we set our differences aside for a greater cause, in this case, to help people recover from the storm

4. Hurricane Harvey The Cooperation of Government (All Levels)
The Role of Local Government in Harvey’s Aftermath
City of Houston
City government is responsible for our health and safety during a disaster
Day 1: Mayor Turner opened George R. Brown Convention Center as a shelter housing as many as 10,000 people in first few days
The private owners of the Toyota Center agreed to serve as a shelter as well, as an overflow from the George R Brown Convention Center
Day 2: Mayor Turner ordered a curfew (12 midnight to 5am)
The curfew was designed to help the police combat looting of homes that had been evacuated
Day 6: Mayor Turner ordered a mandatory evacuation from homes and apartments with standing water in West Houston, flooded by the release of water into the Buffalo Bayou from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs
Turner worried about people being getting sick from the toxins in the standing water, as well as potentially being executed
The City of Houston owns the George R Brown Convention Center

5. Hurricane Harvey The Cooperation of Government (All Levels)
The Role of Local Government in Harvey’s Aftermath
Harris County Government
Harris County government is responsible for our health and safety during a disaster
Day 2: County Judge Ed Emmitt opened NRG convention center (next to NRG stadium) as a shelter, housing as many as 2000 people
Harris County Flood Control District (a special district)
The Army Corp of Engineers (U.S. Government entity) owns and controls the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in West Houston,
Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist at HC Flood Control District, was the face of news reports about water levels and flooding forecasts during and after the storm
HC Flood Control District monitors the water levels on the bayous and creeks that run through and around Houston
HC Flood Control District manages the bayous and creeks, periodically digging them deeper so that they can carry more water to the Gulf of Mexico
Harris County owns the Astrodome and NRG complex

6. Hurricane Harvey The Cooperation of Government (All Levels)
The Role of State Government in Harvey’s Aftermath
Texas State Government
The state is responsible for relief and rescue efforts
Governor Abbott declares 30+ counties as Presidential Disaster Areas
This declaration is necessary for FEMA to deliver aid and services to a county
Includes Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Brazoria County (all in the Houston area)
Governor Abbott ordered the entire Texas National Guard to Houston and to Southeast Texas to help with rescue and relief efforts
12000 National Guard Troops from Texas from other states
In Houston, the National Guard stationed at the Houston Executive Airport (West Houston)
600 boats
500 high-water vehicles
The City of Houston owns the George R Brown Convention Center

7. Hurricane Harvey The Cooperation of Government (All Levels)
The Role of Federal Government in Harvey’s Aftermath
Federal Government
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
FEMA provides temporary housing (~90 days in a hotel or motel) for people displaced by the storm
FEMA provides financial assistance to those who do not have flood insurance
About 20% of those affected by the flooding in Houston have flood insurance
U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard performed helicopter rescues in Houston
Congress/The President
President Trump lobbied Congress for almost $8 billion to help with recovery efforts, and Congress appropriated the money

8. Hurricane Harvey Civil Society
The Role of Civil Society
The Private Sector (Citizens, Businesses, Churches, etc.)
Private Citizens
Houstonians and others from around the country used their own resources (e.g., boats, donations, volunteerism) to help their neighbors recover from the storm
The “Cajun Navy,” a line of vehicles towing boats from Louisiana came to Texas to help with rescue efforts
Sports Teams
Owners and players associated with the Texans, Rockets, Astros, and Dynamos have donated millions of dollars for disaster recovery
JJ Watt has raised $30+ million dollars
Religious Institutions
Religious institutions of all faiths have opened their doors as shelters, mobilized volunteers, raised money, taken donations of food and supplies, and have distributed these resources to people in need

9. Hurricane Harvey Civil Society
Some religious institutions are very well organized, having mobilized their members in past floods and disasters
Second Baptist Church is one, using the internet to organize volunteers to help clean-up 4,600 flooded homes in the Houston area

10. Hurricane Harvey Responsibilities of Different Levels of Government
Federal, State, and Local government each has responsibilities in a natural disaster
State government is not shown in the graphic, but the Governor has the responsibility of mobilizing the national guard

11. The Reservoirs
Addicks and Barker Reservoirs

12. Hurricane Harvey Flood Control Planning
Spillover point during the storm
The Army Corp of Engineers (federal government) build the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in the 1940s
The intent was to prevent flooding of downtown Houston from the overflow of water from bayous and creeks running through the city
During Harvey, there was spillover from the Addicks Reservoir—the water had reached record highs

13. Hurricane Harvey Flood Control Planning
The Army Corp of Engineers and Harris County Flood Control District released water from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs because the water had reached record highs and they feared the dams may break. But by releasing water, homes along the Buffalo Bayou that had survived the hurricane were flooded by the controlled release of water from the reservoirs
Flood inundation areas highlighted in blue

14. Hurricane Harvey Flood Control Planning
The Army Corp of Engineers and Harris County Flood Control District began to release water from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs on Tuesday, Aug. 29th (two days after the storm passed)

15. Pictures of Harvey

16. Hurricane Harvey Pictures from the Storm
Telephone Road on the day (8/27/2017) Harvey hit Houston

17. Hurricane Harvey Pictures from the Storm
The day after the storm (8/28/2017) was dedicated to boat rescues of people stranded in flooded homes

18. Hurricane Harvey Pictures from the Storm
Channel 11 News (KHOU) was flooded and their entire staff moved to the Channel 8 studios on the UH campus

19. Hurricane Harvey Pictures from the Storm
The Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston near UH-Downtown

20. Hurricane Harvey Pictures from the Storm
Roads were flooded almost everywhere in Houston

21. Hurricane Harvey Pictures from the Storm