How Houston Survived Harvey

As a born-and-raised Houstonian, I'm well aware of the city's motto: "Houston Strong." The fastest growing city in the United States (according to the 2016 census) has a culture that bonds its inhabitants like superglue. We're stronger together.

When Hurricane Harvey hit the U.S. last August, causing over $180 billion in damage -- making it the second most expensive disaster in American history, behind Katrina -- it impacted 13 million people across the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

In its wake, Houston natives banded together to help their neighbors. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt raised almost $40 million with his foundation, while Mayor Sylvester Turner's relief fund has collected more than $100 million from around the world, which it distributed to help with food, housing, education, clothing, home repair, and more.

H-E-B, a grocery store chain, donated $3 million in food and volunteer hours, while the chain's CEO, Charles Butt, personally donated another $5 million. Celebrity businessman Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale became a local hero by opening his mattress stores to those in need of shelter, the only option for many victims during those early weeks.

The city is known as a hub for multiple industries. It's home to science and technology innovators (many of whom work at NASA), some of the best hospitals and medical research facilities in the world at Texas Medical Center, a thriving oil and gas presence, and a highly respected creative community in the theater arts district.

As Harvey made landfall, artists and connoisseurs around the country wept to see much of the city's famed arts district flooded, halting theatrical productions -- a major damper on the economy of one of only five American cities to boast a symphony, ballet, opera house, and national theater. All were significantly damaged by the storm.

The businesses of Houston rely heavily on each other, so when restaurants are down, it quickly impacts other businesses in the vicinity. While some are bouncing back, for others the damage was permanent. "There are some restaurants where -- because of Harvey -- they just weren't able to get back up again," explains Kathryn McNeil, CEO of Theater District Houston. "They were either damaged or because of the time they had to be closed, they just weren't able to [reopen]."

Due to the pride Houstonians have in their city's wide range of ethnicities and cultures -- the saying goes "You can travel the globe in Houston" -- the theater district was quick to rebuild. The Alley Theater reopened on Thanksgiving (though its basement venue, the Neuhaus Theatre, is still under repair); the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is open and currently housing the Houston Ballet; and the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra has also reopened. Meanwhile, the Wortham Theater Center, continues to rebuild (and is not scheduled to reopen until September).

"This community has been through a tremendous tragedy," says Deborah McNulty, director at the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs. "Having the availability of our community in helping people through that process is going to be critical to our long-term recovery."

One particular bright spot is Houston's gayborhood -- the Montrose area and museum district -- which benefited from preventative measures put in place after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

"The culture of Houston is what makes Houston so great," McNulty adds. "I can't tell you how many stories I've heard from people who've moved here -- myself included -- who come for work and stay because the place, the food, and the cultural life that's available to us here is beyond anything that people are used to in other cities. Increasingly, the diversity of the city is permeating everybody's life. You can have every kind of experience with music, dance, art, and food that you could want."

To get Houston's economic engine running again, McNeil says, "What we need is for people to come and go to our theaters and go to our restaurants. We're open for business!"

"When the theater district is dark, restaurants suffer," McNulty concurs, adding there is a "healing power" in the arts, especially during this time of restoration.