CONCLUSION

         There are many factors that were uncovered in this project that have affected flooding in the areas selected in the Greater Houston area.

         The large area of 100-year floodplains in the Kingwood super neighborhood likely isn’t the result of a single factor. Elevation data suggests that Kingwood struggles with having a reliable source of draining excess water, with the only outlet being a river system. Soil units in the area provide great foundations for building construction but lack the properties to effectively drain water. Heavy, urbanized use of land has further weakened the capabilities of the area’s natural environment. Future ideas for strengthening Kingwood’s flood control should consider giving the area a larger and more reliable drainage system.  

       In the Kashmere Gardens area, the floodplain is also not the result of a single factor but is the accumulation of multiple factors leading to a greater effect. Kashmere Gardens is mostly floodplain whereas most of the non-flooded areas are the urban lands with urban land use and the subsidence rate of the nearest well is 0.3.. The only floodway for Kashmere Gardens is the singular river: Hunting Bayou.  

     Meyerland/Braes Bayou has similar attributes to the aforementioned areas, such as an urbanized sprawl that limits the amount of drainage in the area as well as a major floodway in the Braes Bayou, which dissects the whole area. Overflow of that bayou can result in many homes flooding due to their proximity to the waterway.

     Overall, a majority of the major flooded areas in Houston area caused by a combination of extensive urbanization close to floodways, poor soil drainage quality, as well as not devoting as much land use committed for drainage and over-flooding. In the future, the city of Houston must devote more resources into combating the poor drainage problem in the way of limiting construction or developments in floodways with low subsidence and poor soil, and providing ample space for water to drain into floodways and waterways naturally that does not cause flooding in populated spaces.