What if Texas’ destructive Tax Day flood had centered on inner Houston instead? It’s why cities should plan for the improbable

Computer models of the storm hitting different areas show how much damage is possible, yet flood maps still focus on where flooding is most likely instead.

By: James R. Elliott, Rice University; Dominic Boyer, Rice University, and Yilei Yu, Rice University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 14, 2026

Words: 1,420

Last Updated: 3 months, 2 weeks ago

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By James R. Elliott, Rice University; Dominic Boyer, Rice University, and Yilei Yu, Rice University

Ten years ago, the infamous Tax Day storm swamped the Houston area with off-the-charts rainfall. Nearly 2 feet of rain fell in less than 15 hours in parts of the region, starting on April 17, 2016. The rain flooded thousands of homes and exceeded a 10,000-year event at some gauges.

But the storm’s damage could have been much worse.

The …

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