Damaged & Defiant

From Aug. 26 to 31, Hurricane Harvey dumped record-breaking amounts of rain on the Greater Houston area. No one was left untouched—or without a tale.

A collaborative project captures the struggles of a region that, before, could endure anything. Houston stood in the face of adversity. It came out damaged, but defiant with hope.

DAMAGED & DEFIANT:

Explore how Hurricane Harvey evolved below (or click here):  

Hear from Houstonians who weathered Harvey (click here):  

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 

This project was created as a collaboration between The Dawn Project, The Houston Chronicle, University of Houston Bauer College of Business, Rice University Fondren Library, and Executive Service Corps of Houston, with direction by the Esri Story Maps team.

CREDITS:

Carroll Parrott Blue | The Dawn Project
Vernon Loeb, Rachael Gleason, Allyn West III, Lisa Gray, Jordan Rubio | Houston Chronicle
Carl P. Scott, Elaine Tran, Jonathan Mayorga, Richard Doan, Matthew Sananikone | University of Houston Bauer College of Business
John Reed | Executive Service Corps of Houston
Lisa Spiro, Leah Binkovitz, Kyle Shelton | Rice University
Iris Gonzalez, Odin Zackman | Houston LISC
Allen Carroll, Hannah Wilber, Cooper Thomas, Greyson Harris | Esri Story Maps

SPECIAL THANKS:

Johnny Hanson
Scott Wharton
Elizabeth Winston Jones
Kairn Klieman
Linda Hollins
Steve Spillette
Nicola Springer
The Southeast Houston Transformation Alliance (SEHTA)
Jim Blackburn

DATA:

Hurricane Harvey Best Tracks and windswath | National Hurricane Center
August 25 visible and infrared satellite imagery | NOAA/ NASA GOES-16
Daily and cumulative precipitation | National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service
Inundated area estimates | Dartmouth Flood Observatory
Damaged Houston neighborhoods | The Kinder Institute for Urban Research
FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer | Texas Natural Resources Information System
Houston home flooding estimates | The Kinder Institute for Urban Research
Houston area flooding aerial imagery | NOAA

FURTHER READING: 

Hurricane Harvey: A closer look at Houston's biblical floods

Developing Storm: Hurricane Harvey was the most destructive storm in Houston's history. The late-August storm dumped up to 60 inches of rain on southeast Texas, but the resulting damage was multiplied by actions taken ­– and not taken – during the past 50 years. A seven-part Houston Chronicle series explains why the storm's damage was both a natural and man-made disaster.

Part 1: Nature ruled, man reacted. Harvey was Houston's reckoning.

Part 2: Cheap insurance premiums, billions in debt. Families get trapped, taxpayers soaked.

Part 3:  Build in a floodway? It's the Houston way.

Part 4: Fort Bend levees were designed for the 100-year storm. Is that enough?

Part 5:  Houston's growth weakened the dams that made it possible.

Part 6:  In some cases, developers, engineers and public officials were the same people.

Part 7:  The Dutch tamed the North Sea. What can they do for Houston?