A Tale of Epic Flooding and Scientific Support for a Natural Gas Pipeline Release during Hurricane Harvey

JANUARY 25, 2021 — It was a blustery, overcast morning on August 28, 2017 when Adam Davis, then a young Scientific Support Coordinator, showed up on scene in Port Arthur, Texas. Wide-eyed and excited Adam could not wait to get started assisting the Marine Safety Unit, that was until he saw the flooding. Freeways and city streets completely submerged underwater. 

Lecture series poster.
Lecture series poster. Image credit: NOAA.

Looking out over the interstate and seeing only the tops of the light post that lined usually trafficked road. He thought to himself, “What have I gotten myself into, how could it get much worse?” Then the call came in, a natural gas leak submerged underwater in a fast flowing river near a refinery with two large cargo vessels barely tied upstream along the riverbank. What Adam did not know was this was about to turn into the longest 5 hours of his life…


Download the recording to this month’s episode of You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know to hear the rest of Adam’s Hurricane Harvey adventure!


You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know every third Thursday of the month at 3pm EST.


Last updated Monday, May 1, 2023 7:46am PDT