Convenience Big Store: Houston-area cities at risk of flooding as land sinks and tide rises

March 14, 2024

Spring Sale
Only 25¢ for a digital subscription.
Act Now

Good morning, Houston.

Happy Thursday! When the Houston Museum of Natural Science's Cockrell Butterfly Center re-opened Saturday after being closed for around two months of maintenance construction, the sanctuary had a few new additions: birds.

🌧️ Temperature check: High of 80; low of 72. Justin's insight: A slow-moving cold front is expected to bring widespread rain to Southeast Texas through the end of the week. Read more here.

Yasmeen Khalifa, Audience Engagement Producer

yasmeen.khalifa@houstonchronicle.com

Best of the Bayou

Today we're talking about Houston-area cities at risk of flooding...

If you read one thing: Cities along the Gulf Coast, including Galveston and Texas City, are bracing for 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise by 2050, and data from a study in the journal Nature last week showed those risks will be exacerbated as urban areas sink to meet the sea.

What did the study find?

Researchers from Virginia Tech, Brown University and other institutions mapped the impacts of sea level rise and coastal subsidence, or the sinking of land near the ocean, and found that land sinking would exacerbate sea level rise in some urban areas along the Gulf to a greater degree than other cities in the 32-municipality study.

The study projected that between 2020 and 2050, subsidence would account for about a fifth to a third of the new land below sea level in the urban areas analyzed on the Gulf Coast, compared to just over a tenth on the Atlantic coast and about 5% on the Pacific.

Which areas are most at risk?

The study honed in on the potential costs of high tide flooding for five Texas cities: Port Arthur, Galveston, Texas City, Freeport and Corpus Christi.

The analysis found that across the five coastal Texas cities in the study, thousands more homes and tens of thousands more residents could be exposed by mid-century to flood devastation following the combination of sea level rise and sinking land.

Read Rebekah F. Ward's full story here.

Stay in the Loop

Photo by: Susan Barber

📰 Need to Know

Here's what you need to know about rattlesnake season in Texas. With Texas in the middle of rattlesnake season, it's important to remember the types of rattlers one can find in and around Houston.
Why your favorite meteorologists are wearing purple on Thursday. Here's how one social media movement became a campaign to raise awareness about diversity in science, tech, engineering and math.
IDEA charter school launched a massive expansion days after TEA put conservators in charge. IDEA is allowed to increase student enrollment from 78,200 to more than 90,000 by the 2025-26 school year with campuses across Texas, including in Humble.
How Great White Shark LeeBeth's record-breaking journey across the U.S. became a viral sensation. A shark has become a swimming sensation after she was tagged off the coast of South Carolina in December.
World's Largest Bounce House, OctoBlast, is coming to Houston in April. Get ready to experience massive bounce houses, including a new attraction incorporating a foam party, coming soon.
Houston comes together to support those affected by the Texas Panhandle fires. The Texas Panhandle has been facing one of the largest wildfires that led to evacuations, loss of properties and even deaths of some people. Houstonians are coming together to support.

💼 Business

An 800-home community in Waller is breaking ground northwest of Houston. Ryko Development is breaking ground soon on a 215-acre master-planned community in the city of Waller, northwest of Cypress and Houston.
Houston home sales, prices are starting to rise as higher rates become the norm. More Houston homebuyers are dipping their toes back into the market, helping to boost Houston home sales for the second consecutive month.
Methane emissions from the global energy sector are nearing an all-time high. The International Energy Agency said emissions could drop sharply if corporations and governments keep their COP28 commitments.

🚗 Outside the Loop

Jeremy the tortoise was reported missing by Blue Heron Farm owners. The local celebrity tortoise has been reported missing by its owners.
A lawsuit in a Conroe doctor's stabbing claims 'ill-maintained' security gates are to blame. A lawsuit against Alys Luxury Living in Conroe claims "ill-maintained and inoperable entry and exit gates" failed to prevent Dr. Talat Khan's stabbing death.
A man accused of shooting a 12-year-old boy in Cloverleaf is being held on a $2 million bond. Terry Rivera was ordered to be held on a $2 million bond, a sum both his lawyers and prosecutors say he likely cannot pay.
Alvin ISD is asking residents to help decide where new schools are needed. Alvin ISD expects to grow by 1,000 students each year and will open two new schools in the 2024-25 school year.

Point of View

Photo by: Yasmeen Khalifa

Spring Branch ISD fought for funding. Now they've turned petty.

Things are getting personal in Spring Branch after former Superintendent Duncan Klussmann wrote an op-ed critical of plans to shutter campuses, writes the Chronicle Editorial Board.

Houston vs. All Y'all

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka talks with forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in Houston.

Photo by: Karen Warren/Staff Photographer

Rockets vs. Wizards: Five things to watch.

The Rockets host the Wizards at Toyota Center on Thursday, returning home after a victorious three-game road trip.

Houston Cougars Big 12 basketball tournament preview vs. TCU. We break down UH's opening game in the Big 12 tournament against TCU, the one conference opponent the No. 1 Cougars didn't beat this season.
Analysis: Texans' moves in free agency show a team trying to win now. The Texans made splashy moves when the NFL free agency began. Here's what that says about the Texans as they try and build off an 11-8 season.
Bulked-up Corey Julks is making a bid for the Astros' opening day roster spot. Growing up and living in Houston meant Corey Julks spent his offseason at Minute Maid Park working with Astros staff to get stronger and improve his swing.

Get Out

Photo by: Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo

The Jonas Brothers' journey from boys to men will be on display at RodeoHouston.

The Jonas Brothers sibling trio first performed at the event in 2009. Back then, they were teen heartthrobs who incited roof-rattling screams.

NPR's Tiny Desk made Scarface a viral hit. But the Houston rapper has always been of the moment. This week, Scarface plays his hometown as part of the Behind the Desk Experience, a tour brought into existence by the reception to the NPR appearance.
A 'Hocus Pocus' and 'Sister Act' star is coming to the Houston Horror Film Fest. Grab a snack and a stool. Mary Sanderson is flying into Houston.
Things to do in Houston this weekend: RodeoHouston, St. Patrick's Parade. Our top weekend picks also include Houston Ballet's Bespoke, Houston Dynamo, Kountry Wayne and more.
'American Society of Magical Negroes,' 'Arthur the King' top new films. "Love Lies Bleeding," "Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told" and "Shirley" with Regina King are also hitting our screens.

This is an interesting one: Dr. Ted Voloyiannis, a Houston colon and rectal surgeon, recently participated in a surgical simulation on the International Space Station. The space surgeries could have a big impact. See ya in your inbox tomorrow!

— Yasmeen Khalifa