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In the coming decades we will see twice as many days from the impacts of flooding. Such an injustice should
with temperatures of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Due concern all of us because Houston’s diversity is key to its
to the urban heat island effect, Texas cities are literally economic success and dynamic growth.
hotspots of climate change. Rainfall is becoming less pre- Through targeted investments in resilient infrastructure
dictable and more intense, causing more frequent floods and disaster preparedness, Texas can effectively address
and extended droughts. All trends point to growing social vulnerabilities and boost community health. Planning
climate impacts in Texas. for an uncertain future through resilient infrastructure and
Texans are now more aware of the growing risks of disaster preparedness can further propel Texas businesses
infrastructure failures that would leave them in the dark. and communities into a climate-ready future.
Texas remains among the most vulnerable and least pre- The Resilience Science Information Network (RESIN)
pared states to manage climate-related health challenges. Portal, led by HARC, tracks climate impacts across the
These risks limit the ability of local businesses to operate, Upper Texas Gulf Coast and enables a better understanding
and repeated events mean residents and companies may of these in the context of exposure and social vulnerability.
not recover from one event before the next one occurs. This platform will help decision-makers identify big-ticket
investment areas that yield outsized dividends while ensur-
GULF COAST COMMUNITIES AT THE FRONT LINE ing that resources for disaster relief and resilience gravitate
Marginalized communities often experience the first towards those who need it most. Another powerful resilience
and worst impacts of climate change. Studies on the tool developed by HARC is a climate analytics platform
impacts of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area show called Pythias Analytics. This platform aims to support and
that neighborhoods with higher proportions of low-income strengthen stakeholder capabilities to monitor infrastructure
individuals and people of color experience more extensive exposure to extreme weather. Pythias allows companies to
flooding. In addition, they have fewer resources to recover conduct system, portfolio, and asset-level risk assessments.

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