Lessons From Hurricane Harvey: Shoring Up the Emergency Management Cycle

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southern Texas, ravaging Houston and the surrounding area. Over four days, 33 trillion gallons of rain fell. Some areas experienced significant flooding as waterways and reservoirs were overwhelmed. The human impact was devastating—over 15,500 homes destroyed, another 250,000 damaged, and 103 lives lost. Officials estimate the damages at US$125 billion.

This briefing looks at the topics discussed during The Conference Board of Canada’s Hurricane Harvey Study Tour through the lens of the emergency management cycle—preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. It will help readers understand how various emergency management professionals responded to Hurricane Harvey; the progress happening at all levels of government in responding to catastrophic hurricanes; and the lessons identified during the study tour. Emergency management professionals can use these lessons to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the emergency management cycle and reduce the costs of future disasters.