In other cities, bringing up the weather in conversation equates to making small talk. Not so in inclement-weather-prone Houston, where discussions of hurricanes, floods and the occasional snowy Christmas can morph into deliberations on politics (“Did you see the mayor appointed a flood czar?”), real estate (“When will they stop building subdivisions in our wetlands?) and science (“Who can argue with climate change, besides you, Bill?”).

These discussions can mine deep veins of nostalgia for long-time Bayou City residents (“Remember when we boated over to the Hendersons’ house after Alicia?”) or serve as thresholds for newcomers to meet (“Are you a real Houstonian if you haven’t lived through a hurricane?”). They can sustain an entire dinner party— try it sometime.

Within, our own deliberation on Houston’s stormy past, present and future, complete with photographic and historic evidence that no matter what we do or where we build, this city has and always will continue to flood, plus answers to the weather-related questions that may have plagued you at that last dinner party. Your weather game is about to get a lot stronger…