What did Houston ever do to deserve this? That’s what residents near the Addicks Reservoir must have thought during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Addicks Reservoir, a usually peaceful giant sprawling north of Interstate 10, transformed into a raging beast. The reservoir, built in the 1940s alongside its sibling, the Barker Reservoir, had a critical mission: to protect downtown Houston from the wrath of Buffalo Bayou in flood. For decades, they silently stood guard, holding back floodwaters. But Harvey was different. The relentless rain pushed the Addicks Reservoir to its limits. Water levels surged, exceeding previous records and approaching the auxiliary spillways for the first time ever. The Army Corps of Engineers, facing an impossible choice, made the difficult decision to release controlled flows from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs into Buffalo Bayou. This, unfortunately, led to the flooding of thousands of homes near the reservoirs – a necessary sacrifice to spare downtown Houston from even greater devastation. The controversy didn’t end there. Many residents claimed they were never informed they lived within a potential flood zone. The legal battles raged, highlighting the complexities of development in flood-prone areas and the delicate balance between protecting one community over another. Today, the Addicks Reservoir stands as a stark reminder of nature’s power and the difficult choices we face in its wake.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to