The Great Hair-vey Downpour: How Much Rain Did Houston Actually Dodge (Spoiler Alert: Not Much)
Ah, Hurricane Harvey. The name strikes fear in the hearts of Texans (and maybe a few furniture store owners) everywhere. But one question that always comes up is: just how much rain did this monster storm dump on Houston? Buckle up, because we're about to dive into a rain-soaked history lesson, with a healthy dose of Texan humor to keep things from getting too bogged down (pun intended).
By the Bucketload: Measuring Harvey's Fury
Forget umbrellas, kiddos. During Harvey, you'd have needed a personal Noah's Ark to stay dry. We're talking epic downpours, the kind that would make even the Mississippi River jealous. Rain gauges across Houston were overflowing faster than you could say "flash flood."
But enough with the theatrics, let's get down to brass tacks (or should we say rain barrels?). The official numbers show that Houston received a monumental soaking of over 50 inches of rain during a four-day period. That's more than most places get in a whole year!
Can you imagine explaining that to your boss? "Sorry I'm late, there's just a little too much water on the freeway."
The Rain Doesn't Play Favorites: Hotspot Downpours
Now, Houston is a big city, and just like your grandma's famous pecan pie, the rain wasn't evenly distributed. Some areas got a sprinkle, while others got, well, let's just say they were ready to grow gills. The undisputed rain champion goes to Nederland, Texas, just a stone's throw away from Houston, where a whopping 60.58 inches were recorded. That's enough rain to fill an Olympic swimming pool... several times over.
Houston itself wasn't far behind, with some neighborhoods seeing over 30 inches. Let's be honest, at that point, you're not talking rain anymore, you're talking a full-on tropical car wash.
The Lighter Side (Because We All Need a Laugh)
Look, Harvey was a serious storm that caused a lot of damage. But sometimes, you gotta find the humor in a bad situation. Here are a few things that might bring a chuckle (or maybe a nervous sweat):
- News reports showing people kayaking down their streets.
- Fish being spotted swimming in living rooms.
- The sudden popularity of inflatable pool toys... for transportation purposes.
Hey, if you can't laugh, you cry, right?
So, there you have it. The next time someone asks you how much rain Harvey dumped on Houston, you can confidently say "a whole lot, buddy, a whole lot."
