1. Rain Garden Project
Class xxxv wants you to Dig In Let’s put an end to Houston’s flooding problem

2. The Damage
We see it year after year. Houston is hit with torrential rains, and several areas of the city suffer from devastating flooding. The cost is millions of dollars in damages, and sometimes, loss of life.

3. Flooding By the Numbers
Damage from the Memorial Day 2015 flood: between $200 million and $550 million Damage from the April 2016 Tax Day flood: between $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion Source: BBVA Compass economists

4. 240 billion: Gallons of rain fell in the Houston area
363,400 Olympic-sized swimming pools could be filled by all of the rainfall
$5 billion in property damage was reported in Harris County alone
123,000 homes lost electricity during the storm
1,200 high-water rescues were conducted
1,000 homes were flooded.
9 counties were in a state of disaster
8 people dead
Source: CNN

5. What the experts say
Metro Houston has added more than a million people since 1992, while the amount of water-absorbing wetlands per capita has been cut in half. Paved surfaces in Harris County increased by well over 25 percent in that period.
“Houston is the No. 1 city in America to be injured and die in a flood. There’s very little topography. They’ve added hundreds of miles of pavement and can’t keep up with all the positive initiatives… So we get these floods.”
Sam Brody, director of Texas A&M University’s Center for Beaches and Shores/”Claims Journal” June1, 2015

6. “Future storms are more likely than ever to threaten homes and roadways with inundation, even in neighborhoods that don't border on creeks or bayous. If there is a consensus among conservationists, engineers, ecologists, hydrologists, urban planners, climatologists and other experts regarding Houston's prospects in a time of climate change, it is that neither city nor county officials have taken adequate steps to address the realities imposed by life on a rainy coastal plain.” - Kim McGuire and Mike Tolson, Houston Chronicle, April 23, 2016

7. What can Houstonians do?
Join Leadership Houston’s Class XXXV in creating the Rain Garden Project

8. A Simple Way To Make a Difference
 A rain garden is a shallow depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses
It can reduce the potential of home flooding by absorbing stormwater runoff from roofs, parking lots and roads
Runoff collects in the garden and soaks into the soil instead of washing into streets
It increases garden enjoyment and enhances sidewalk appeal

9. Rain gardens are easily adapted to residential and commercial sites in a variety of sizes
They are inexpensive and easy to implement
Your support is key in solving this problem.
With your help, we will build a demonstration project at Memorial Park – where thousands of daily visitors can see how they can contribute to putting an end to Houston’s flooding problem.
Proposed sites:

10. Dig in Houston!
Follow our progress as we break ground on two rain gardens at Memorial Park
Follow us on Facebook at
You can make a pledge or gift online by visiting leadershiphouston.org/project
Your donation will be used to fund the material needed during design, construction and maintenance of the rain garden.
Once you see how easy it is to plant your own rain garden, you can show your neighbors how to do it themselves
So, Let’s roll up our sleeves and DIG IN, and make a difference for our city!