Houston's urban landscape directly contributed to the torrential rainfall and deadly flooding experienced during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, according to Princeton and University of Iowa researchers. The researchers report in the journal Nature Nov. 15 that Houston's risk for extreme flooding during the hurricane -- a category 4 storm that caused an estimated $125 billion in damage and killed 68 people -- was 21 times greater due to urbanization.
The researchers found that as Houston's urban center grew upward and outward, flood risk changed, including a greater risk of higher flood peaks and more serious and dangerous flooding overall. As the city's miles of impervious sidewalks and streets increased, heavy rainfall could not be absorbed into the ground.
"When Hurricane Harvey blew into Houston, it literally got snagged on the city's tall skyscrapers and towers," said Gabriele Villarini, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of IIHR. "The friction caused by high winds buffeting tall buildings created a drag effect that influenced air and heat movement and resulted in optimal conditions for precipitation."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181114131957.htm
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