You don't run from wind. You run from water. Unfortunately, the wrong people do, and don't, evacuate. It is especially bad in areas that haven't had a bad storm for many years and are populated by inexperienced people.
When one finally hits Houston, it is going to be a CF of epic preportions.
Well there was Harvey 4 years ago.
Harvey hit just north of here in Rockport and Port A, they just got the rain up there.
Yes, and Harvey was about the maximum possible hurricane property damage for Houston due to geography. Most of the Houston area is over 40 miles inland with a bunch of trees to take energy out of the hurricane between Freeport/Galveston and the southern suburbs like Pearland.
Baytown, La Porte, and Channelview are a different story. If a hurricane came up through Galveston Bay virtually unobstructed, those areas and others on the east side would be in serious trouble. I don't remember seeing any hurricane paths where one abruptly turned 90 degrees immediately when it got to shore - that very unlikely 90 degree turn into downtown Houston after threading the needle up Galveston Bay would be the only way for more property damage than Harvey brought.
The damage Beeville and Three Rivers got from Harvey would be a good indicator of the damage of a typical "direct hit" on the Houston area. In SE TX, Silsbee and Evadale are situated similarly to the coast as most of the Houston area is.
I was in Houston for both Ike and Harvey and saw firsthand how much energy Ike lost between the coast and I-10, and it was still. hurricane force when the eye went over my head. That energy dissipates quickly unless you have only grass between the shore and you (e.g., Lake Charles).
