Today, ProPublica and Texas Tribune launched Hell and High Water, a multimedia project on the unprecedented dangers faced by Houston and the entire U.S. economy. Researchers have warned for years that a hurricane could devastate the region, as well as the refineries and storage containers clustered around the nearby Houston Ship Channel – yet the leaders empowered to prevent a crippling disaster have taken almost no action.

This evening at 7:30 p.m. ET, ProPublica and Texas Tribune are co-hosting a community forum at the San Jacinto College Maritime Technology and Training Center in La Porte, Texas, to discuss how to break through the state’s political and scientific gridlock in order to protect Houston before disaster strikes. The event will feature an immersive multimedia presentation by ProPublica News Applications Developer Al Shaw, and a panel moderated by Texas Tribune managing editor Ayan Mittra, including:

• Chad Burke, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region
• State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood
• Leon Phillips, president of the Galveston County Coalition for Justice - Len Waterworth, executive professor in the Department of Maritime Administration at Texas A&M University at Galveston

Check back here today at 7:30 p.m. ET to watch the event live, and join the conversation online by using hashtag #highwater.