Playlist: Todd Hulslander's Portfolio
Featured
Below the Waterlines, Houston after Hurricane Harvey - Hour Long Special
From KUHF | Part of the Below the Waterlines, Houston after Hurricane Harvey series | 58:59
Hurricane Harvey was a seminal moment in the history of Houston. Five years later, where do things stand? Houston Public Media examines efforts to make the region more resilient to better prepare for the next big storm.
- Playing
- Below the Waterlines, Houston after Hurricane ...
- From
- KUHF
Five years have passed since Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, yet its impact remains. We wanted to know: Is Houston better prepared for the next major storm? After spending the past several months trying to answer this question, we discovered the answer was not so simple.
Our reporters analyzed data. They spoke with residents who are still suffering and ones who have recovered and moved on. And they asked our local officials some hard questions.
We learned that a lot of work has been done… but we also noticed a theme - how often even the smallest steps toward progress are caught in the grind of bureaucracy.
Part 1: How Has Houston Changed?
Hurricane Harvey devastated greater Houston back in August of 2017. The storm flooded over one hundred fifty thousand homes in Harris County. Two feet of rain was dumped in the first twenty four hours and left a third of the city under water. In the first episode, we’ll visit with people who are still struggling to find normalcy five years later. We also examine how Houston’s flood mitigation strategies have evolved since the storm, and what challenges stand in the way.
Part 2:
Fixing the Reservoirs
Even today, tens of thousands of homes sit inside reservoirs that may flood again if Houston gets another storm like Harvey. And if the Addicks and Barker reservoirs fail, they’ll cause catastrophic damage to downtown Houston and to countless Houstonians. One big solution stakeholders want is a massive tunnel system to carry away the stormwater. In this episode, we look at what’s standing in the way.
Part 3:
Flood Control Goes Green
Unlike the traditional gray infrastructure, which relies on concrete, green infrastructure uses nature to slow down, absorb, and filter floodwaters. After the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey, we look at what role green solutions can have in making Houston more flood resilient. From floating wetlands to an abandoned golf course-turned-nature preserve, we visit innovative green solutions that are being tested across the county.
Part 4:
The Fallout of Buyouts
Experts and decision-makers agree: home buyouts are more important than ever. Flood risk for most Houstonians is only getting worse in the wake of climate change and urban development. The problem is that buyouts are a bureaucratic nightmare. Reporter Sara Willa Ernst takes us to two buyout neighborhoods and shows us how people get caught up in that painful process.
SPECIAL ISeeU EPISODE: The Gay Black Civil Rights Financier
From I See U with Eddie Robinson | Part of the I SEE U with Eddie Robinson Specials series | 53:29
I SEE U examines the mystique behind the late millionaire, Norris Herndon, as a disappearing family legacy looms and the public knows little about his historic role in the Civil Rights Movement.
His father, born into slavery, had become one of the first African American millionaires in the United States. His mother, though devoted to Black civil rights, was a renowned actress and had kept her racial background a secret. And in 1897, Alonzo and Adrienne Herndon had a son – their only child – named Norris Herndon, who would become the second President, inherited by his father, of the historic, Black-owned Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Behind the scenes, Norris was a major financier of the Civil Rights Movement and often gave large sums of money to several organizations, community groups and universities. He also lived a very private life and learned to hide his attraction for men. Could his homosexuality be a reason why his story remains unknown to so many people? Join host Eddie Robinson as I SEE U takes an in-depth look at the life of Norris Herndon with insight and perspective from writer/columnist, Ryan Lee and history scholar, Pamela Flores – both based in Atlanta.