5 Years After Harvey: What Houston Homeowners Have Learned About Flooding

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August 2017 and stalled over Southeast Texas, dropping more than 60 inches of rain in some areas over four days. The resulting flooding caused an estimated $125 billion in damage, affected over 300,000 structures in Harris County alone, and changed how Houstonians think about flood risk forever.

Lesson 1: Flood Maps Don't Tell the Full Story Harvey flooded thousands of properties that had never flooded before and were outside FEMA's designated flood zones. Zone X was no protection against 60 inches of rain. The lesson: flood risk in Houston is universal, not just for those in mapped floodplains.

Lesson 2: The Addicks and Barker Reservoirs Are Both Protection and Risk The Army Corps of Engineers released water from Addicks and Barker Reservoirs during Harvey to prevent dam failure — flooding thousands of homes in western Houston neighborhoods that might otherwise have stayed dry. Understanding how reservoir releases affect your neighborhood is now essential for West Houston homeowners.

Lesson 3: 48 Hours Is Everything The difference between homes that were successfully restored after Harvey and those that required complete gut renovations was often whether professional drying began within 48 hours. Mold established in virtually every home that sat wet for more than a few days. Time is everything.

Lesson 4: Flood Insurance Is Not Optional in Houston Roughly 80% of Harvey flood victims did not have flood insurance. Many had assumed homeowner's insurance covered flooding (it doesn't) or believed they weren't at risk because they weren't in a flood zone. Every Houston homeowner should carry flood insurance — the question isn't whether you're at risk, it's when.

Lesson 5: Documentation Before the Storm Homeowners who had home inventory documentation and photos of their belongings before Harvey had dramatically better insurance claim outcomes. Take a video tour of your home today. Store it in the cloud. It takes 30 minutes and could be worth tens of thousands of dollars if disaster strikes.

The single most important Harvey lesson for Houston homeowners: have a trusted water damage restoration company in Houston, on speed dial before a storm ever threatens. Rhino Water Damage Restoration Houston's experienced flood damage cleanup teams are equipped for major storm events — the same crews that served Harris County through Harvey, Imelda, and Uri are ready for the next event.