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After Hurricane Harvey

Failures in a Flood Zone

In 2016, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune sounded the alarm that Houston’s overdevelopment and underestimation of flood risk had made it a sitting duck for the next big storm. Then, Hurricane Harvey hit.

12 stories published since 2017

How Harvey Hurt Houston, in 10 Maps

by Al Shaw and Lisa Song, ProPublica, and Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune, and Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal,

Buyouts Won’t Be the Answer for Many Frequent Flooding Victims

by Lisa Song and Al Shaw, ProPublica, and Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal,

Everyone Knew Houston’s Reservoirs Would Flood — Except for the People Who Bought Homes Inside Them

by Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal, Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune, and Al Shaw, ProPublica,

Texas Official After Harvey: The ‘Red Cross Was Not There’

by Justin Elliott, Jessica Huseman and Decca Muldowney,

Independent Monitors Found Benzene Levels After Harvey Six Times Higher Than Guidelines

by Lisa Song and Al Shaw, ProPublica, and Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune,

Rethinking the ‘Infrastructure’ Discussion Amid a Blitz of Hurricanes

by Andrew Revkin,

Houston Officials Hope Harvey Convinces Congress to Fund Coastal Barrier

by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune, and Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal,

How the Truth Can Get Damaged in a Hurricane, Too

by Andrew Revkin,

Where the Government Spends to Keep People in Flood-Prone Houston Neighborhoods

by Lisa Song, Hannah Fresques and Al Shaw,

Development and Disasters — A Deadly Combination Well Beyond Houston

by Andrew Revkin,

Houston’s Dams Won’t Fail. But Many Homes Will Have to Be Flooded to Save Them

by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune, Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal, and Al Shaw and Lisa Song, ProPublica,

Why Houston Isn’t Ready for Harvey

by Al Shaw, ProPublica, Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune and Reveal, and Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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