Are some cities too big to be saved? Hurricane Harvey and lessons from South Texas

The author examines the logistical impossibility of evacuating a city the size of Houston (2.3 million people) during Hurricane Harvey and warns that European cities of similar or larger scales face comparable risks. The text highlights how a lack of zoning and the destruction of marsh lands increased Houston's vulnerability to flooding. To mitigate such risks, the author proposes that European governments use financial incentives to reduce urban density by encouraging companies and residents to relocate to smaller areas, while investing in sustainable public transportation to facilitate rapid evacuations.

• Houston city officials decided against ordering an evacuation during Hurricane Harvey, arguing that the city's population of 2.3 million made it "too big to safely evacuate."
• The vulnerability of Houston to flooding is attributed to a lack of zoning, insufficient green spaces, and the draining of marsh lands that could have absorbed extraordinary rainfall to accommodate commercial growth.
• Climate change scientists identify human activity as a primary cause of the unprecedented rain levels associated with Hurricane Harvey and warn that similar storms will occur in the future.
• The author asserts that the logic regarding the impracticality of evacuating Houston applies to numerous European cities with populations of similar or larger sizes, such as London, Moscow, and Istanbul.
• To reduce the risk associated with high urban density, the author suggests governments provide incentives for companies to relocate to smaller, less-populated areas, thereby drawing jobs and people away from major cities.
• The author recommends that regional, national, and European authorities invest in infrastructure and "greener, sustainable public transportation projects" to facilitate rapid evacuations during natural or man-made disasters.

APA

Justice, J. (2017). Are some cities too big to be saved? Hurricane Harvey and lessons from South Texas. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/are-some-cities-too-big-to-be-saved-hurricane-harvey-and-lessons-from-south-texas/

Chicago

Justice, Jeff. Are some cities too big to be saved? Hurricane Harvey and lessons from South Texas. Green European Journal, 2017. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/are-some-cities-too-big-to-be-saved-hurricane-harvey-and-lessons-from-south-texas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Justice |first1=Jeff |title=Are some cities too big to be saved? Hurricane Harvey and lessons from South Texas |publisher=Green European Journal |date=5 September 2017 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/are-some-cities-too-big-to-be-saved-hurricane-harvey-and-lessons-from-south-texas/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{justice2017are, author = {Justice, Jeff}, title = {{Are some cities too big to be saved? Hurricane Harvey and lessons from South Texas}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/are-some-cities-too-big-to-be-saved-hurricane-harvey-and-lessons-from-south-texas/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }