An Examination of Houston's Many Voices in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
The catastrophe was meteorological, but its impacts were profoundly human and deeply unequal.
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey didn't just strike the Texas Gulf Coast; it staged a siege, stalling over the region and dumping an unprecedented 9 trillion gallons of water on Texas 9 . The storm broke rainfall records, but it also exposed deeper, pre-existing fractures in the social and structural foundations of Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.
Gallons of water dumped on Texas
Structures inundated by floodwaters 1
Largest U.S. city affected
The catastrophe was meteorological, but its impacts were profoundly human and deeply unequal. As floodwaters inundated nearly 200,000 structures 1 , they revealed a stark landscape of disparity, where race, wealth, and zip code could determine everything from your exposure to toxic chemicals to your ability to rebuild your life.
To understand Harvey's impact, one must first grasp its unprecedented physical characteristics. Scientists identified a confluence of factors that made Harvey so extreme.
Harvey exploded from a tropical depression to a Category 4 hurricane in a remarkably short time. This was fueled by its passage over an "eddy" of hot water in the Gulf of Mexico that was 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding waters 7 .
Unlike typical hurricanes that are steered by prevailing winds, Harvey stalled over southeastern Texas for days. This occurred because two large high-pressure systems effectively cancelled each other out 7 .
The storm's rainfall was amplified by climate change. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture—for every 0.5 degrees Celsius of warming, there is a 3% increase in atmospheric moisture 9 . Furthermore, in a fascinating and destructive feedback loop, Harvey began pulling moisture back up from its own rainfall that had saturated the land.
| Factor | Description | Contribution to Harvey's Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid Intensification | Quick transformation from weaker to stronger storm | Surprised populations; limited preparation time 7 |
| Hot Gulf Waters | Sea surface temperatures 2.7-7.2°F above average | Provided a deep energy source, fueling the storm's power 9 |
| Stalled Steering Currents | Collapse of high-level winds that normally steer storms | Caused the storm to park over one area for days, maximizing rainfall 9 |
| Enhanced Precipitation | Warmer atmosphere holds more moisture; self-feeding loop | Led to record-breaking, catastrophic flooding 7 9 |
While the rain fell on everyone, its consequences did not. Social vulnerability—defined as the characteristics that influence a person or group's capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from a natural hazard—proved to be a critical determinant of survival and suffering 1 4 .
Long before Harvey made landfall, historical inequalities had shaped a city where poor minorities were disproportionately exposed to environmental risks 4 .
Houston's history has led to a clear east-west segregation, with minority communities often concentrated in less desirable areas 8 . One analysis found that overwhelmingly non-white areas hosted the vast majority of the city's pollution sources:
Neighborhoods like Port Houston, a low-income, 91% Hispanic community, are considered food deserts and lack adequate infrastructure. Residents reported that clogged drainage ditches contributed to flooding in their area 4 .
Similarly, the public hospital Ben Taub, which serves a primarily low-income patient population, was unable to afford flood-proofing upgrades that other hospitals in the Texas Medical Center had implemented after a previous storm. During Harvey, Ben Taub was forced to evacuate, while its better-funded neighbors continued operations 8 .
Surveys of Greater Houston households after Harvey quantified these disparities. Residents experienced an average of three unmet needs (UNs), such as:
Statistical analysis revealed that these burdens were not borne equally. Hispanic respondents experienced significantly more UNs and AEEs than non-Hispanic whites. Furthermore, within the Hispanic population, a crucial distinction emerged: foreign-born Hispanics experienced significantly more UNs and AEEs than their U.S.-born counterparts 1 . This highlights how immigrant status and citizenship can compound vulnerability, especially when non-citizens are denied most forms of government disaster assistance 1 .
| Vulnerability Indicator | Manifestation Before/During Harvey | Impact on Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomic Status | Living in flood-prone areas due to affordable housing; lack of resources to evacuate or prepare | Inability to afford repairs or recoup lost income; less likely to have insurance 8 |
| Race/Ethnicity | Historical segregation placing minority communities near industrial hazards | Lower approval rates for FEMA aid; 66% of Black residents felt they weren't getting needed help vs. half of all victims 8 |
| Immigrant/Citizenship Status | Fear of authorities; formal ineligibility for government assistance | Foreign-born Hispanics reported more unmet needs than U.S.-born Hispanics 1 |
| Pre-existing Health Disparities | Higher rates of certain diseases in polluted areas; lack of health insurance | Greater susceptibility to post-storm illness; inability to afford medical care for Harvey-related conditions 8 |
In the wake of the flooding, scientists launched the Houston Hurricane Harvey Health (Houston-3H) Study to evaluate the short- and long-term health impacts on residents 2 . This research provided critical data on the tangible health consequences of flood exposure.
The study enrolled residents from highly impacted neighborhoods at two time points: within about a month of the flood (T1) and again 12 months later (T2). Participants reported on flood-related exposures and health outcomes via questionnaires.
This study demonstrated that the health impacts of the storm were not fleeting; they persisted for at least a year, directly linking flood experiences to lasting physical and mental health challenges.
Beyond mold and sewage, a significant concern was exposure to hazardous chemicals from Houston's massive petrochemical industry. A team from Oregon State University conducted a novel experiment to measure personal chemical exposure in the aftermath of the storm 5 .
Acts as a passive sampling device, absorbing chemicals from the environment that individuals are exposed to through inhalation or dermal contact.
Researchers distributed specially prepared, chemical-free wristbands to hundreds of Houston residents. One group wore them right after the flooding (while waters were still high or during cleanup), and a second group, including many of the same people, wore them a year later during recovery 5 .
The returned wristbands were analyzed in a lab for approximately 1,500 different chemicals, including pesticides, flame retardants, personal care products, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—chemicals associated with petroleum and combustion 5 .
The data showed a clear and concerning trend: for many of the chemicals detected, levels were higher immediately after the flood than a year later 5 . This confirmed community fears that the floodwaters and subsequent cleanup had increased their exposure to a cocktail of industrial and environmental chemicals.
| Study | Primary Health Findings | Primary Exposure Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-3H Health Study 2 |
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| OSU Wristband Study 5 | Exposures to chemicals with unknown or known toxicity data |
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Hurricane Harvey was a natural disaster magnified by human decisions. The storm's fury was a product of a warmed climate and unfortunate weather patterns, but the profound suffering in marginalized communities was the product of historical inequality, flawed urban planning, and institutional neglect.
Science, from epidemiology to chemistry, has provided the tools to measure this unequal impact—from the allergens in homes and the stress in minds to the industrial chemicals on wristbands.
The many voices of Houston in Harvey's aftermath tell a unified story: catastrophe discriminates. It seeks out the most vulnerable, those made vulnerable long before the storm clouds gather.
The enduring lesson of Harvey is that true resilience cannot be built only during disaster response; it must be woven into the fabric of a city through social justice, equitable policy, and environmental regulation that protects all residents, not just the privileged few. As Houston continues to recover and rebuild, the challenge remains to listen to those many voices and to create a city that is not only stronger, but fairer.