Houston’s natural topography combined with the infrastructure for six million people creates a flood risk,  according to Sam Brody. He’s a professor of Marine Sciences and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University at Galveston. And, he says, the city of Houston floods a lot.  Brody and colleagues have spent years warning city officials about the damage brought on by too much pavement.

“We’ve come a long way,” he says, “and a lot has been done, but I think it’s time for a real shift in our thinking and fundamental approach to flood risk reduction and flood management overall.”