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18.1 Resilient Houston: Documenting Hurricane Harvey Letter from the Editor
Debbie Z. Harwell, Editor Letter from the Editor: In the aftermath of local storms, many Houstonians claim the frequency of flooding has increased, raising the question: how accurate are those statements? The city’s first flood occurred in April 1837, just eight months after Houston was founded at the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak Bayous. […]
Stories from the Watersheds: How Harvey Impacted Houston’s Neighborhoods
By Nadia Abouzir Running along Buffalo Bayou, Eleanor Tinsley Park was completely submerged after Harvey’s rains. Photo courtesy of J. Daniel Escareño, Flickr. It is no secret that Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, but how did it impact the city’s individual communities? Floodplain maps offer insight into where the risk is greatest to experience a 100- or 500-year flood, but many of the affected neighborhoods surpassed these thresholds […]
Disaster and Dedication: The Story of Meyerland’s Jewish Community
By Anna Mayzenberg Meyerland grew rapidly from its beginnings in 1955. Homes, such as this one on Valkeith Drive (1960), frequently sold before construction was completed. Photo courtesy of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library. In the mid-1950s, the 1,200-acre Meyerland subdivision promised to be a new suburban haven for middle- and upper-class […]
Beyond Social Justice: Black Lives Matter and Houston Relief Efforts
By Christopher Kessinger Brandi Holmes and Secunda Joseph spoke to Houston History about what motivated them to help those in need during Hurricane Harvey. Photo courtesy of Resilient Houston: Documenting Hurricane Harvey. Activists with Black Lives Matter-Houston and Project Curate, Brandi Holmes and Secunda Joseph formulated their own responses to Hurricane Harvey. The two began […]
Helping Hands and the Challenges of Recovery from Hurricane Harvey
By Sandra Tzul Houstonians found ways to ensure their neighbors got what they needed by cruising neighborhoods with supplies. Photo courtesy of Debbie Z. Harwell. As Houstonians rode out Hurricane Harvey the most devastating storm in Houston’s history recovery weighed heavily on their minds. Rains pounded the area in late August 2017, as residents witnessed […]
Harvey’s Cohabitated Animal Shelter
By Anna Mayzenberg Having found a safe haven, a dog rests on an American Red Cross blanket. The change in policy to allow pets in the shelter was a big step forward in responding to disasters. Photo courtesy of Friends For Life. The first day the George R. Brown Convention Center(GRB) opened as a Hurricane […]
Flood Insurance: A Necessary “Luxury”
By Sean D. Bartell Built in 1956, Eric Dowding’s Braeburn home had never flooded until he hit the trifecta: Memorial Day 2015, Tax Day 2016, and Harvey in 2017. Photo courtesy of Eric Dowding When Hurricane Harvey came, flooding was nothing new to Braeburn resident Eric Dowding. Having lived in Houston with his wife Trang […]
![“[Houston Strong] was
so widespread in Harvey ... I love how Houston is
so diverse. ... Different ethnicities, different religions, and this crossed that. This was not a Jewish issue. This was not a Christian issue. This was a Houston issue, and it continues to be. ... We can all come together and support each other, even if we don’t have an answer for it.”1 Nomi Solomon, Meyerland resident.](https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/houston-1238154_1920-1-100x100.jpg "Drawing Power from Community — Houston Strong")
Drawing Power from Community — Houston Strong
By Eva Marie Bernal Although Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, residents’ spirits rose above it all, symbolized by the phrase: Houston Strong. The expression became a rallying cry that symbolized the city’s resilience, hope, and optimism as residents worked to rebuild. But it also meant different things to different people, from helping a neighbor to unifying […]
Table of Contents, 18.1, Resilient Houston: Documenting Hurricane Harvey
Download the full pdf here18.1 Letter from the Editor, Debbie Z. Harwell 2Before the Storm: Forecasting Hurricane HarveyBy Samantha de Leon5Stories from the Watersheds: How Harvey Impacted Houston’s NeighborhoodsBy Nadia Abouzir8Looking Back: First Responders Reflect on Hurricane HarveyBy Graciela Cortez11Disaster and Dedication: The Story of Meyerland’s Jewish CommunityBy Anna Mayzenberg15Connecting Through Chaos: How Social Media Platforms Helped Save LivesBy Syed […]