After Tropical Storm Allison 16 years ago, the Houston area sustained about $5 billion in damage, nearly half of which occurred at the Texas Medical Center (TMC), according to an article on the NFPA website.
But after Hurricane Harvey, the TMC was left largely undamaged, a trend that held true for most of area's healthcare facilities.
Investments in infrastructure made as a result of previous storms were largely responsible for the positive outcomes during Harvey, the article said.
These investments included extensive building “hardening” to prevent intrusion from floodwaters, moving generators to high ground, sealing off underground tunnels, and more, according to Memorial Hermann engineering officials.
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