Ashburn, VA

67° F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

67°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

News & Features AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Business Climate Health Recreation Sports Travel

News / Weather News

Why this major city often looks like a 'ghost town'

That’s how tourists often describe the downtown area — that is, until they explore a hidden part of the city, one that has been made popular by its extreme weather.

By Zachary Rosenthal, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Jul. 29, 2022 8:51 PM EDT | Updated Jul. 29, 2022 8:51 PM EDT

Copied
Watch now

A network of underground tunnels stretching more than 6 miles allows Houston’s workforce to move about the city avoiding the heat and rain.

It’s lunchtime in Houston, yet there is seemingly no traffic in the city’s urban core. Pedestrians aren’t rushing past each other, and few cars dot the city’s roads. The more than 2 million people who live in the city have seemingly vanished in the blink of an eye. So, where did everybody go?

“When people come to Houston, and see downtown Houston, they’re amazed by the buildings, but they wonder where all the people are," Stephen Fox, an architectural historian and lecturer at Rice University, told Reuters. “And you have to come and explain that there are alternatives to the sidewalks in Houston.”

According to the City of Houston, the tunnels began as a way to connect two downtown movie theaters. Over time, the operation significantly expanded, creating the large underground cityscape you can now visit today, assuming you can find one of the staircases and elevators that take you to the subterranean downtown.

“Tourists tend not to find the tunnel system. They tend to walk around street level, looking for where everything’s at," Vanessa Lopez, a tour guide with Houston's Astroville Tours, said. "Lots of people will mention before joining us on tour that downtown Houston looks like a ghost town."

Areas in the tunnel closer to Buffalo Bayou, the slow-moving waterway that bisects the city, are especially prone to flooding, Lopez explained.

The tunnels have flooded during tropical systems in the past. Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 flooded several parts of the tunnel, disrupting the worst-hit businesses for months, according to a report by the city. The tunnels ended up serving as "an effective conduit" for floodwaters, taking on some of the water that might have otherwise flooded downtown.

In this Aug. 29, 2017, file photo, highways around downtown Houston are empty as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey overflow from the bayous around the city in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Houston is considering building more underground tunnels -- tunnels that would not be for shops and businesses but for the sole purpose of storing water when wet tropical systems like Allison or 2017's Hurricane Harvey hit the area, according to The Texas Tribune.

Houston’s weather is notorious for being extreme due to stifling humidity levels and tropical downpours that pop up over the city — and it is the nasty weather conditions that make the current tunnel system so popular.

In the summer, Houston’s average high temperature in late July and early August, the hottest time of the year, is 96 degrees Fahrenheit, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures regularly climbing into the triple digits due in part to the persistent humidity.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  • Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Lucia Herron, a shopkeeper who owns GreenWorks Flowers, a floral shop located in the tunnel, said Houston's less-than-ideal weather makes the tunnel system a popular place for the city's residents.

“Too much rain or too much heat is what makes these types of places functional for everyone,” Herron said. “So it’s fabulous to have the tunnel, it allows them to communicate between buildings, for the food, for the gifts, for anything they need, because if you go through the tunnels, you have anything you need.”

SEE ALSO:

Severe Weather 30 dead, many others missing following historic Kentucky flooding
Business City's secret weapon against flooding is deep underground
Weather News The day a tsunami-like flood struck a landlocked mountain town

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather Forecasts

Western states to sizzle this week as heat builds

Aug. 15, 2022
Recreation

Odd clouds doing 'the darndest things' hover over Chicago skyscrapers

Aug. 12, 2022
Astronomy

Saturn opposition: Why August is perfect for spotting the ringed plane...

Aug. 15, 2022
Severe Weather

Risk for flooding downpours across Central states early week

Aug. 15, 2022
Climate

Arctic warming nearly 4 times as fast as entire globe, study says

Aug. 11, 2022
Weather News

Bystanders spring into action seconds before sinkhole swallows car

Aug. 12, 2022
Weather News

Army identifies 2 Fort Benning soldiers killed by fallen tree in Ga.

Aug. 11, 2022
Recreation

Level up your barbecue game this summer with these gas grills

Jul. 15, 2022
Recreation

Why a zero-gravity chair is what you should add to your yard this year

Jul. 19, 2022
Show More Show Less Chevron down

Topics

News & Features

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Rare summer nor'easter could bring lingering taste of fall

38 minutes ago

Weather News

‘Chocolate waterfall’ roars to life after summer storms

2 days ago

Hurricane

Tropical rainfall funnels into Texas and Mexico, threatening flooding

3 hours ago

Weather News

Woman, 63, dies after being impaled by windswept beach umbrella

2 days ago

Weather News

Exploring the curious case of the 'exploding' tree in Portland

2 days ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

Local Arthritis Forecast

Featured Stories

Explore this hurricane-beaten ghost town where time has all but stoppe... Webb space telescope glimpses most distant star known to exist The tools you need to maintain your garden through the rest of summer
AccuWeather Weather News Why this major city often looks like a 'ghost town'
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
© 2021 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | TAG Disclosure | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK