Harvey’s Effect On Houston’s Arts Scene
Hurricane Harvey, estimated to be the second-costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, generated more than 50 inches of rain over some parts of Texas, breaking records for the U.S. mainland. In addition to displacing tens of thousands of people and causing an estimated $75 billion in damage, flooding from Harvey affected many of Houston’s cultural institutions, especially in the city’s Theater District. The flood water compromised museum archives, caused structural damage and knocked out electricity and the Internet.
How extensive was the damage? We talked with representatives and gathered information from some of major Houston’s arts centers to find out. The Wortham Center, home to Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet, consists of two theaters, the Brown and the Cullen, which experienced flooding in front-of-house areas. The water has since receded leaving residual dirt. The stages of the Alice and George Brown Theater and the Lillie and Roy Cullen Theater suffered water damage and the dressing room corridor also experienced minimal flooding. The basement of the building is completely full of flood water.
