The Problem with Flooding and Physical Infrastructure

I have spent the majority of my life residing in suburban San Antonio, Texas. When I was accepted into the University of Houston, my family was ecstatic for me to begin the rest of my life in such a beautiful and sprawling city. However, there was a slight backlash in my decision due to the prior events of Hurricane Harvey and the devastation it left behind. I decided to conduct my own independent research as I found great interest in the impact of Hurricane Harvey on local Houston communities. I uncovered dozens of individual accounts from survivors in the midst of the storm. Each personal account exemplified the positive attitude and mental toughness that every hurricane survivor carried. I felt a connection with these individuals who lost everything as they are not only fellow Texans, but human beings as well. I conducted full archival research within the University of Houston library while utilizing the Special Collection series at the University of Houston library alongside hours of individual research to ask the question, “What is the solution to controlling Houston’s floods?” I found that the relationship between flooding and physical infrastructure was detrimental to the flood control efforts. I intended to uncover the truth surrounding the dense physical infrastructure found in suburban/urban communities and the effects flooding can have on it. I chose to utilize scholarly sources and expert testimonies to prove how physical infrastructure negatively contributes to flooding in major cities through scholarly journals and archival materials from Special Collections at the University of Houston.