It was one year ago this week that Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coastline, ultimately causing $125 billion in damage, tying Hurricane Katrina for the costliest storm of all time, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
At Rice University in Houston, Prof. Jim Blackburn says no city could have prepared for what happened.
"When you get 40 to 50-inches in a four day time period, I've heard estimates that it could be as much as a 20 or 50-thousand year rain event," he says.
Most of the damage caused by the Category-4 storm was in Houston, which was underwater. Flooding displaced more than 30,000 people and prompted more than 17,000 rescues.
Governor Greg Abbott says the rebuilding process has been nothing short of amazing.
"A storm the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey could have ripped us apart, but instead it pulled us together and proved that no force is more powerful than the Texas spirit. We salute the heroes of Hurricane Harvey who stepped up... I thank these brave men and women for answering a higher calling, and for putting their lives on the line when they were needed most."
San Antonio became a hub for evacuees. A Hurricane Relief Fund established by Mayor Ron Nirenberg raised tens of thousands of dollars. This month, a check for $98,000 was presented to the mayor of Rockport.
"Knowing that San Antonio is a city of compassion, it came as no surprise to me when my office was inundated with offers from corporations and average citizens alike with offers of supplies, shelter and monetary donations,” Mayor Nirenberg said.
Blackburn says, one year later, the storm will change Texas.
"All of the maps we use for floodplain planning in the cities will be changed, certainly across central Texas, from Houston to San Antonio."
GRAPHIC: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE