Brownwood Subdivision, Texas

A suburban subdivision (in the shadow of the massive Baytown Refinery) which was vacated due to flooding problems. Roads and lots for 400 homes were carved out of the bushes on this 450 acre riverfront peninsula in the 1950's. Decades of groundwater pumping for industrial use resulted in the surrounding area dropping by at least 9 feet, making it susceptible to flooding. A storm surge in 1961 caused considerable flooding, halting further development. Levees and pumps were installed to protect the existing homes, however another flood in 1983 caused an evacuation, afterwhich FEMA bought out the resident's interests, and the community was condemned. Subsequent dumping of toxic waste led to the area being declared a Superfund clean up site. In 1995, a portion of the former Brownwood development was remediated, and the Baytown Nature Center established. The Center was badly damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008, but has since then been rebuilt.