11/30 - APA Chapter Webcast: In Retrospect - Hurricane Harvey and the Impact on African-American Nei
Updated: Jan 2, 2020
For many people living near the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast line, August 25, 2017 will always be a day to remember. On this day, twenty-seven trillion gallons of water began to pour into the region as the category four hurricane, Harvey, traveled along the Coast line (Zarracina, 2017). The havoc caused by Hurricane Harvey affected tens of thousands of people living within the region destroying homes, and business forcing thousands to evacuate into shelters. This massive 1,000-year storm destroyed over 40,000 homes and caused over $125 billion in damages (Blake, 2018; FEMA, 2017). As the people residing within this geographical region began to rebuild, one area of interest worth examining is the equitability of the preparedness, response, and recovery processes among minority populations, specifically African Americans. Historically, research has shown that “low-income communities and communities of color don’t get the necessary protection (Bullard, 2017).” It was clear throughout Hurricane Harvey as the local and national media highlighted areas of Houston that did not contain a high minority population, despite Houston’s overall diversity. This study uses a combination of GIS mapping, informal interviews, and content analysis to examine the impacts Hurricane Harvey had on the Black Community, specifically in historically African American communities in Houston, Texas. The paper will discuss the measures that the local, state, and federal governments used to prepare, respond, and rebuild the community. In addition, the paper will discuss any disproportionate impacts and injustices that the Black community endured to decide if the African American population was more or less prepared than their counterparts. Hear from the PBCD Fellow who conducted the research, City officials and leading Hazard Mitigation educators discuss Hurricane Harvey and its impact on the Black community.
Hosted by the APA Planning and the Black Community Division
Speakers: Derek Hull, Rick Flanagan, John Cooper, Ph.D., Joy Semien
CM: 1.5 (CM credits can be claimed by looking up the sponsoring Chapter or Division as provider.)

The APA-IL works with other APA Chapters and Divisions to bring great webcasts directly to the comfort of your home or office for FREE! Check out the upcoming webcasts and register today.
Remember, all are at 12:00pm - 1:30pm CST and are approved for 1.5 CM credits (when watched live).
Distance Education
These two recorded webcasts from 2017 have been selected for AICP CM DE credit for viewing anytime during the 2018 calendar year.
Law: Images, Creative Commons and Copyright – Urban Design and Preservation Division. Event #9143138
Ethics: Queer and the Conversation: The Ethics of Inclusion – LGBTQ and Planning Division. Event #9143146
Remember that the event numbers for DE credits are different from those for the live sessions.
2019 Sessions
Organizers are now scheduling webcasts for 2019. Please think about what you can do to promote planning and the exchange of ideas through this webcast platform. Each Chapter and Division that supports the Planning Webcast Series hosts at least one webcast during a calendar year. It’s a simple proposition – think of a topic, find the speakers, and let Trevor Dick, AICP, APA-IL Professional Development Officer know at pdo@ilapa.org.