The Unequal Burden: Elevated Toxic Flood Exposure and Health Disparities

After Houston’s recent floods, contaminated water does not affect all residents equally. Small differences in elevation can determine whether floodwater near Toxic Release Inventory facilities drains away or pools around surrounding homes, creating uneven exposure risks across neighborhoods.

This rapid-response study combines high-resolution elevation modeling, drone-based field validation, and semi-structured resident interviews. The spatial analysis identifies low-lying residential catchments around TRI facilities, while drone mapping documents temporary evidence of water pathways, pooling, and sediment deposits. Interviews compare residents in predicted high-risk zones with those in nearby higher-elevation areas and capture acute symptoms before physical evidence disappears and recall fades.

The project links environmental exposure patterns with community health experiences and produces practical toxic flood-risk maps that support more equitable emergency outreach, protective equipment distribution, and public health response.