A flooded road leading to the Arkema chemical plant near Houston, Texas in August 2017. Multiple employees including the plant manager are facing criminal charges for allegedly failing to adequately prepare for flooding that caused massive chemical fires at the plant. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Hurricane Harvey's devastating flooding caught many homeowners by surprise, and prompted support for more disclosure about flood risk. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
Downtown Houston flooded by rain from Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 29, 2017. The buildings in the region exacerbated rainfall from the storm, according to a new study. David J. Phillip/AP hide caption
A satellite image from Monday shows Hurricane Florence as it travels west and gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes Isaac and Helene have also formed off the coast of West Africa. NOAA/GOES/Getty Images hide caption
Petrochemical facilities in the Houston area are assessing their hurricane preparedness after Hurricane Harvey. This oil refinery reinforced storage tank roofs with geodesic domes — the gray caps on some of the white tanks in the photo — to better withstand a deluge. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
An infrared satellite image shows Hurricane Harvey just prior to making landfall on Aug. 25, 2017. Warm water in the Gulf of Mexico fed heavy rains, according to new research. Getty Images hide caption
Floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey ripped apart fences and flooded Interstate 10 east of Houston last year. The San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund site is on the other side of the road. Rebecca Hersher/NPR hide caption
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $500 million in hazard mitigation funding provided by FEMA is available immediately. He expects the state to receive at least $1.1 billion in aid by August. David J. Phillip/AP hide caption
Damaged furniture and personal belongings sit in front of a flooded home in September in Richwood, Texas. Several months after Hurricane Harvey hit southern Texas, residents are still navigating the long recovery process. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
Donald Trump waits to step onto the portico for his presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption
The NPR Top Political Story of the Year Bracket after Round 2 voting. Domenico Montanaro/NPR hide caption
Francisco Vasquez at work on the Prestige Oysters boat The Diplomat. Scott Dalton/for NPR hide caption
A view of Buffalo Bayou and downtown Houston. The dirt along the banks shows the extent of the flooding during Hurricane Harvey. Scott Dalton/for NPR hide caption
Donnal Walker, 52, returned home to find his HIV pills floating in floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey. He went 11 days without medication. Sarah Varney/KHN hide caption
A family evacuated their apartment complex in west Houston, where high water coming from the Addicks Reservoir flooded the area after Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 30th. Erich Schlegel/Getty Images hide caption
Tulsa's flood control plan includes multi-use drainage basins, like the athletic field at Will Rogers High School. It doubles as a detention pond for overflowing storm water. Joe Wertz/StateImpact Oklahoma hide caption
"If I smell something out here, it's bad, and I can tell you during Harvey, it smelled real bad," said Juan Flores in Galena Park, Texas, about a leak that caused strong gasoline odors to waft through town. Frank Bajak/AP hide caption
Corey Boyer, a real estate investor, inspects the kitchen of a house flooded after Hurricane Harvey in Humble, Texas. Hansi Lo Wang/NPR hide caption
Shannan Wheeler says he suffered chemical injuries on his arms after a fire broke out at the Arkema chemical plant 3 miles from where he lives. He's now part of a lawsuit against the company. William Chambers for NPR hide caption
Yuli Gurriel will be suspended for five games in the 2018 season, and will receive sensitivity training in the off-season. Bob Levey/Getty Images hide caption
Museum curator Teddy Reeves demonstrates a method of salvaging damaged photos at a workshop in Beaumont, Texas. Allison Lee/Houston Public Media hide caption
Water spinach is the main source of income for most Cambodian-American families in Rosharon, Texas. But Vuth Yin says rebuilding his home after flooding from Hurricane Harvey has kept him from farming. Hansi Lo Wang/NPR hide caption
Lindsay Cristides, a master's student in oceanography at Texas A&M University, anchors a research vessel in the Houston Ship Channel before taking samples of sediment left behind by Hurricane Harvey floods. The samples will be tested for contaminants including heavy metals. Rebecca Hersher/NPR hide caption