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Texas A&M University at Galveston
Wesley Highfield is an associate professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at Texas A&M University at Galveston.
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Wesley Highfield
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FROM Wesley Highfield
Design and Architecture
Harvey and Houston planning Texas National Guardsmen rescue a resident by boat during flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston. Photo courtesy of the National Guard Hurricane Harvey, now a tropical storm, is dumping torrential rains on Southeast Texas. Severe flooding has caused a number of deaths and left thousands displaced from their homes in Houston and surrounding towns. This is Houston's worst flood but not its first -- the country's fourth largest city deals with floods about once a year. Is there something about the region's design and planning that makes it susceptible to flooding? Wesley Highfield considers the impact of runaway construction in the fast-growing city, and explains how infrastructure, hydrology, and how you build on the floodplain affect your chances of staying wet or dry.
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