Minimizing Water Damage in Houston Can Mean Saving the Country – H2O Solutions

Houston City, which is the fourth largest in the United States of America, is found in the state of Texas and a home to over 2.2 million people. This city is a vital component of the economy of the United States as a good chunk of the aeronautics industry, energy industry and healthcare industry can be located here. Seeing the overall significance of Houston city, a premium should be placed on its safety and its ability to recover from unpredictable natural disasters. Unfortunately, events over the past year have clearly pointed out areas that can be improved upon.

On September 2008, Hurricane Ike which had a category 4 intensity level, struck Houston and wreaked havoc over the area. The hurricane caused excessive flooding and damaged most of the houses and buildings around the area.

For a city that was already in disarray at that time, the worst part was yet to come. The most difficult part would be the clean up and restoration process of the city that, up until now, has not yet been completed. The biggest immediate challenge that rescue and restoration teams faced was being able to quickly remove the water from flooded areas and allow residents to move back in as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, their restoration and water removal efforts were compounded by the fact that the affected infrastructures had to be checked for water damage. The long term effect of water damage which includes the weakening of the foundation of infrastructures was a risk that had to be completely eliminated before residents could be allowed back into the city. Also, the water supply system had to be checked to ensure that everything was working and the system was not contaminated by residual water.

Repairing Water Damage in Houston

Half a year later, Houston’s displaced residents have slowly trickled back in and the damaged industries are carefully rebuilding themselves but the lengthy recovery phase does not come without complications. Engineers and officials are still very concerned with the possible water damage that has not been addressed. During the hurricane, water may have seeped into the unseen gaps between walls and pipes that could be a hazard in the future. As for some industries, such as the aviation and fishing industries, recovery has been slow as the extensive damage that they incurred due to water damage has been slow to repair.

In evaluating the situation of Houston, much can be learned from the recent disaster. One is that better preventive steps can be taken to lessen the amount of damage that natural disasters like this can cause. It would seem practical to heavily invest in creating hurricane-proof infrastructure and defense mechanisms as the cost of destruction far outweighs anything else. Another is to improve the efficiency of restoration programs and water removal efforts. In cases like this, evacuation may always be needed but if the time between evacuation and the residents moving back in is shortened, it would soften the impact of the disaster on the economy and lives of people. As a result, water removal teams and restoration crews should be trained to work even faster and more efficiently to better cope with these situations.