Hurricane Harvey has dumped unprecedented amounts of rainfall on the state of Texas this week, enough, in fact, to fill more than 15 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
As of noon on Monday, meteorologists estimated that the hurricane had dropped 9 trillion gallons of rain across the Houston area, more than any other tropical storm ever to hit the United States.
It can be hard to visualize numbers in the billions or trillions, but that volume of rainfall could fill more than 15 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
That’s assuming the dimensions of the pools at 50 meters (long) x 25 meters (wide) x 3 meters (deep), the size of the tanks in both Rio and London. That produces a volume of 3750 cubic meters, or 3,750,000 liters.
Converting that 15 trillion gallon number (which has certainly gone up in the day-and-a-half since it was reported) to liters yields 56,781,176,700,000 or more than 56 trillion liters. Dividing that into units big enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool shows that the rainfall from Harvey could fill 15,141,647.12 of the Olympic tubs.
That’s an astounding number and starts to give a picture of the sheer size of – and devastation caused by – Harvey. The Washington Post visualized the rainfall total as a cube two miles by two miles by two miles.
Astute fans will know that SwimSwam headquarters are in Texas, including our editor-in-chief Braden Keith, who lives right in Houston, the city taking the brunt of the hurricane’s force. We’re grateful to report that all SwimSwam staff are safe and accounted for, and even helping others in the area evacuate.
The hurricane has certainly stretched us a bit thin as we endeavor to keep bringing swim fans uninterrupted coverage of the World Junior Championships and other major competitions and news, along with the kickoff to our college swimming coverage. We’re grateful for your patience and support as we work to get fully back on our feet, and we take this week’s disaster as a sobering reminder of the raw power of the water we as swimmers and swimming fans can so often take for granted.
6″ of fast flowing water can knock an adult down & carry them away onto objects if not distance . Possibly the best thing you can own is a pair of water sandals , not only can you use them at the beach , river , on wet rocks but a sure footing in flood ( even flash mini ones) in urban areas is a must .
So if you are looking for a present for Mum Dad Grandpa even Grandma get them a pair . They also look really good . They are the best for sue footing .
Also no more mocking the older ladies swimmigbreastroke in butterfly caps slowly up & down the lane .… Read more »
Houston resident here as well. Luckily, my street has not flooded. Godspeed Braden.
Thanks man, we’re all in good shape down here in Montrose – just waiting for the rain to stop so we can get out and help the cleanup. Glad to hear you guys are in good shape.
thanks to all the work swimswam staff put into both championships (plus sea games) even with the hurricane.
Some numbers are just incomprehensible…
I had no idea SwimSwam Headquarters and Mr. Keith’s home were in Houston! Thanks so much for working to hard to cover a swim meet for our entertainment while you were going through a natural disaster, and good luck to Braden and any other staffers affected by this tragedy!
Brandon, how can I reach you to share how we all can help. phone or email ?
T Hill – if you’re out of town, donations to the Red Cross are the best way to help for sure. We’ll be using our swim network as well to help make connections to those who need it. Texas Ford Aquatics near Dallas has made an offer to train displaced athletes and house a few swim families as well. Stay tuned – we’ll communicate any more efforts that pop up.
How can I reach you to share what we’re looking at doing. email or phone ?
email is best. [email protected]. Thanks.
Stay safe, Brandon and everyone in the Houston area!