After hurricanes, climate change resurfaces in Washington.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff

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Residents make their way along Pine Cliff Drive near the Addicks Reservoir during flooding from Hurricane Harvey. The dual punch of Harvey and Irma took more than 100 lives.

Residents make their way along Pine Cliff Drive near the Addicks Reservoir during flooding from Hurricane Harvey. The dual punch of Harvey and Irma took more than 100 lives.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff

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A boat runs past houses flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

A boat runs past houses flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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In this Aug. 26, 2017 photo, shrimp and oyster boats are strewn about in the Seadrift, Texas docks after Hurricane Harvey hit the area. (Nicolas Galindo/The Victoria Advocate via AP)

In this Aug. 26, 2017 photo, shrimp and oyster boats are strewn about in the Seadrift, Texas docks after Hurricane Harvey hit the area. (Nicolas Galindo/The Victoria Advocate via AP)

Photo: Nicolas Galindo, MBR

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Interstate 10 at Market is shown blocked by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

Interstate 10 at Market is shown blocked by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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Pedestrians walk by a flooded car on a street as Tropical Storm Irma hits Charleston, S.C., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Pedestrians walk by a flooded car on a street as Tropical Storm Irma hits Charleston, S.C., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Photo: Mic Smith, FRE

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Damaged homes sit in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Key West, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Damaged homes sit in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Key West, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Photo: Chris O’Meara, STF

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This aerial photo shows a damaged structure in Immokalee, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, six days after Hurricane Irma. (Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News via AP)

This aerial photo shows a damaged structure in Immokalee, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, six days after Hurricane Irma. (Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News via AP)

Photo: Nicole Raucheisen, MBR

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A boat runs past houses flooded by Hurricane Harvey in Spring. A recent public opinion survey found 58 percent of Texans are worried about climate change.

A boat runs past houses flooded by Hurricane Harvey in Spring. A recent public opinion survey found 58 percent of Texans are worried about climate change.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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Soldiers in St. Martin prepare as a Category 5 hurricane bears down on the devastated island. Story on page A8

Soldiers in St. Martin prepare as a Category 5 hurricane bears down on the devastated island. Story on page A8

Photo: HELENE VALENZUELA, Contributor

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Thomas George, Jr., wrings water from the insulation of his home heavily damaged by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Patton Village, Texas. The water line from the flood can be seen on the wall at hi shoulders. less
Thomas George, Jr., wrings water from the insulation of his home heavily damaged by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Patton Village, Texas. The water line from the flood can … more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Rikki Saldivar goes through old family photos at a house that belonged to her grandparents, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Houston. Saldivar’s grandparents, and four young relatives, drowned in a van in Greens Bayou during Tropical Storm Harvey. less
Rikki Saldivar goes through old family photos at a house that belonged to her grandparents, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Houston. Saldivar’s grandparents, and four young relatives, drowned in a van in Greens … more

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

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Hilda Robinson, 65, is embraced by her neighbor from across the street, Shanice Haynes as she took a break from helping her family members with cleanup of her home Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Beaumont, Texas. Robinson’s home, where she has lived the last 15 years, was flooded with roughly four feet of water according to her family. less
Hilda Robinson, 65, is embraced by her neighbor from across the street, Shanice Haynes as she took a break from helping her family members with cleanup of her home Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Beaumont, Texas. … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Texas State University, San Marcos, students Carson Asher and Alaniz Amillano sing during a worship service on the front lawn of The First Presbyterian Church of Dickinson Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Dickinson. The First Presbyterian Church of Dickinson was badly damaged in the floods from TS Harvey. The only thing that wasn’t damaged was the stained glass. They a 10:30 a.m. service outside their church. ( Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle ) less
Texas State University, San Marcos, students Carson Asher and Alaniz Amillano sing during a worship service on the front lawn of The First Presbyterian Church of Dickinson Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Dickinson. … more

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

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Alma Castaneda cleans the walls of her flood-damaged home Thursday in the Verde Forest subdivision in northeast Houston.

Alma Castaneda cleans the walls of her flood-damaged home Thursday in the Verde Forest subdivision in northeast Houston.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Gideon Kim, 2, plus with a toy train while his father, Nathan, is sorting donated shoes as they volunteer at The Forge for Families, a Christian community organization that has been transformed into an Red Cross shelter, on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Houston. The Kim family, including Gideon’s mother, Dr. Judy Kim, had been volunteer at The Forge since Tuesday. less
Gideon Kim, 2, plus with a toy train while his father, Nathan, is sorting donated shoes as they volunteer at The Forge for Families, a Christian community organization that has been transformed into an Red … more

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

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Wanda Adams, left, Rhonda Skillern-Jones, and Jolanda Jones, Houston Independent School District board of trustees members, embrace as they tour flood-damaged A.G. Hilliard Elementary School in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston. less
Wanda Adams, left, Rhonda Skillern-Jones, and Jolanda Jones, Houston Independent School District board of trustees members, embrace as they tour flood-damaged A.G. Hilliard Elementary School in the aftermath of … more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Pabla Cruz, 88, welcomes a food delivery on Friday by Meals on Wheels, the first since Hurricane Harvey struck last week. Cruz and her daughter rode out Harvey by eating tortillas they soaked in water to make them last longer. Story on page A6. less
Pabla Cruz, 88, welcomes a food delivery on Friday by Meals on Wheels, the first since Hurricane Harvey struck last week. Cruz and her daughter rode out Harvey by eating tortillas they soaked in water to make … more

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

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Joe Lopez attempts to clean up the kitchen area of the Creative Learning Center after flood water destroyed the daycare during Hurricane Harvey Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Friendswood.

Joe Lopez attempts to clean up the kitchen area of the Creative Learning Center after flood water destroyed the daycare during Hurricane Harvey Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Friendswood.

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

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Grandchildren of Eva Perez play on her furniture that is being thrown away as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, in Houston.

Grandchildren of Eva Perez play on her furniture that is being thrown away as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, in Houston.

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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President Donald Trump stops in a Pearland neighborhood to visit with residents cleaning out their flooded homes in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.

President Donald Trump stops in a Pearland neighborhood to visit with residents cleaning out their flooded homes in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Phillip Jordan loads a mattress into his truck outside a flooded home on East 40th 1/2 Street in the Independence Heights neighborhood Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017 in Houston.

Phillip Jordan loads a mattress into his truck outside a flooded home on East 40th 1/2 Street in the Independence Heights neighborhood Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017 in Houston.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Johnson pauses to listen for people’s voices as they search for people in a neighborhood inundated by water from the Addicks Reservoir, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP) less
Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Johnson pauses to listen for people’s voices as they search for people in a neighborhood inundated by water from the Addicks Reservoir, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. … more

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

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Armando Bustsamante walks along Studemont Street over Buffalo Bayou as flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey flow toward downtown Houston Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

Armando Bustsamante walks along Studemont Street over Buffalo Bayou as flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey flow toward downtown Houston Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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London Robinson, 9, helps carry damaged cushions to a toss pile outside his grandmother’s home Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Beaumont, Texas. Hilda Robinson’s, 65, home, where she has lived the last 15 years, was flooded with roughly four feet of water according to her family. She, along with her family were tearing apart the destroyed floors and tossing all the belongings that could not be salvaged Sunday. less
London Robinson, 9, helps carry damaged cushions to a toss pile outside his grandmother’s home Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Beaumont, Texas. Hilda Robinson’s, 65, home, where she has lived the last 15 years, was … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Byron Soto, 31, carries his daughter Kiara Soto, inside the apartment that got ruined by the flood caused by the Tropical Storm Harvey. The family is now working to relocate and to try to fix their two cars, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Houston. less
Byron Soto, 31, carries his daughter Kiara Soto, inside the apartment that got ruined by the flood caused by the Tropical Storm Harvey. The family is now working to relocate and to try to fix their two cars, … more

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

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Houston Independent School District President Wanda Adams embraces Rhonda Skillern-Jones, HISD trustee, as they tour flood-damaged A.G. Hilliard Elementary School in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston. less
Houston Independent School District President Wanda Adams embraces Rhonda Skillern-Jones, HISD trustee, as they tour flood-damaged A.G. Hilliard Elementary School in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, on … more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Shiann Barker holds her nephew, Brayln Matthews Sims Jr., 1, between cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston. They have ben at the shelter since Sunday after they evacuated from the Clayton Homes neighborhood. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle) less
Shiann Barker holds her nephew, Brayln Matthews Sims Jr., 1, between cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, … more

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Frances Breaux wipes tears from her face after talking to media about her close friends and neighbors Leo and Lajayne Opelia, both in their 70s, whom she hasn’t being able to reach since last night, before the organic peroxides inside the Arkema chemical plant exploded Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Crosby, Texas. The Opelias were mandatorily evacuated from their homes by officials but they decided to sneak back in their home.

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Frances Breaux wipes tears from her face after talking to media about her close friends and neighbors Leo and Lajayne Opelia, both in their 70s, whom she hasn’t being able to reach since last night, before the

… more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Susan Henney tosses wet carpet as she helps her neighbors clean up from flooding in the Lakewood Forest subdivision Wednesday, August 30, 2017 in Houston. Much of the Houston area was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

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Susan Henney tosses wet carpet as she helps her neighbors clean up from flooding in the Lakewood Forest subdivision Wednesday, August 30, 2017 in Houston. Much of the Houston area was flooded in the aftermath

… more

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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A quartet of Dominican sisters from Mary Immaculate Province join a line of people waiting to volunteer at NRG Center, which opened its doors to a capacity of 10,000 evacuees in the wake of Hurricane Harvey on Wednesday.  less
A quartet of Dominican sisters from Mary Immaculate Province join a line of people waiting to volunteer at NRG Center, which opened its doors to a capacity of 10,000 evacuees in the wake of Hurricane Harvey on … more

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff

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Tammy Dominguez, left, and her husband, Christopher Dominguez, sleep on cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston. They have been at the shelter since evacuating Houston’s Northside on Sunday. less
Tammy Dominguez, left, and her husband, Christopher Dominguez, sleep on cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. … more

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Alen Pogue drags a kayak carrying three pet snakes, leopard gecko, and firearms after returning from his flooded home on Forrest Hollow Drive Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Baytown, Texas.

Alen Pogue drags a kayak carrying three pet snakes, leopard gecko, and firearms after returning from his flooded home on Forrest Hollow Drive Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Baytown, Texas.

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Kathryn Loder sorts donated clothing at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

Kathryn Loder sorts donated clothing at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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People wade through chest deep water down Pine Cliff Drive as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle) less
People wade through chest deep water down Pine Cliff Drive as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston … more

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff

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Stephanie Vu, left, holds hands with her mother, Tracy Cao, as they evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.

Stephanie Vu, left, holds hands with her mother, Tracy Cao, as they evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Chris Gutierrez, second from right, helps his grandmother, Edelmira Gutierrez, down the stairs of their flooded house and into a waiting fire department truck in the Concord Bridge neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir surpasses capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston. less
Chris Gutierrez, second from right, helps his grandmother, Edelmira Gutierrez, down the stairs of their flooded house and into a waiting fire department truck in the Concord Bridge neighborhood as Addicks … more

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Lauren Durst holds onto her ten-month-old son, Wyatt Durst, as they evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.

Lauren Durst holds onto her ten-month-old son, Wyatt Durst, as they evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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People stand on Hirsch Road to watch the sun sets over the Houston skyline as Tropical Storm Harvey moves out of the region Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

People stand on Hirsch Road to watch the sun sets over the Houston skyline as Tropical Storm Harvey moves out of the region Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Carrying equipment for his mother’s feeding equipment, Tommy Golightly walks down an empty south Sam Houston Tollway between his home in Morningside Place on Cullen Street to where his mother had been evacuated to Tuesday, August 29, 2017. less
Carrying equipment for his mother’s feeding equipment, Tommy Golightly walks down an empty south Sam Houston Tollway between his home in Morningside Place on Cullen Street to where his mother had been evacuated … more

Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle

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A neighborhood is inundated by floodwaters from Harvey near east Interstate 10 on Aug. 29 in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

A neighborhood is inundated by floodwaters from Harvey near east Interstate 10 on Aug. 29 in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Grant Braswell, from front, Shayne Hofstetter and John Hall have a good time tubing in flood water at the intersection of Moody Avenue and Postofdice Street on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Galveston. Some parts of the downtown section had flood water more than waist-deep. less
Grant Braswell, from front, Shayne Hofstetter and John Hall have a good time tubing in flood water at the intersection of Moody Avenue and Postofdice Street on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Galveston. Some parts … more

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

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Seven-year-old Elijah and 4-year-old Jordan Rylander are brought assure by the U.S. Coast Guard along with their parents, Perry and Keri, and sister Zoey, 2, near the HEB on Blackhawk Blvd. at the south Sam Houston Tollway, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. less
Seven-year-old Elijah and 4-year-old Jordan Rylander are brought assure by the U.S. Coast Guard along with their parents, Perry and Keri, and sister Zoey, 2, near the HEB on Blackhawk Blvd. at the south Sam … more

Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle

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Abel Hilario clutches his eight-year-old son, Aven, as they are evacuated in driving rain from their home by boat along the south Sam Houston Tollway, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. Aven has autism, and the family had been separated from his mother for three days as they waited for the water to recede. They were reunited when they reached land. less
Abel Hilario clutches his eight-year-old son, Aven, as they are evacuated in driving rain from their home by boat along the south Sam Houston Tollway, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. Aven has autism, and … more

Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle

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Boirs Salazar paddles a surfing board to play in flood water with his brother and a friend at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and 15th Street on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Galveston.

Boirs Salazar paddles a surfing board to play in flood water with his brother and a friend at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and 15th Street on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Galveston.

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

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A rescuer moves Paulina Tamirano, 92, from a boat to a truck bed as people evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.

A rescuer moves Paulina Tamirano, 92, from a boat to a truck bed as people evacuate from the Savannah Estates neighborhood as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Pets are loaded onto a boat to be evacuated from the Twin Lakes neighborhood with their owners as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston. less
Pets are loaded onto a boat to be evacuated from the Twin Lakes neighborhood with their owners as Addicks Reservoir nears capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in … more

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

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Fluids from a submerged vehicle rise to the surface at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in Houston. Sgt. Steve Perez, 56, reportedly drowned in his patrol car at the intersection while on his way to work. He was a 30-year veteran of the HPD. 

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Fluids from a submerged vehicle rise to the surface at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in

… more

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

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Family members react as a van is pulled out of the Greens Bayou with the bodies of six family members on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. The van was carried into the bayou during Tropical Storm Harvey as the water went over the bridge. The bodies of six members of the Saldivar family were discovered in the van they were last seen driving during the storm. 

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Family members react as a van is pulled out of the Greens Bayou with the bodies of six family members on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. The van was carried into the bayou during Tropical Storm Harvey as

… more

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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Don and Peg Sauter celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on August 22. The two have moved from their assisted living home to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. less
Don and Peg Sauter celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on August 22. The two have moved from their assisted living home to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches … more

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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Floodwaters surround an apartment complex as floodwaters rise from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.

Floodwaters surround an apartment complex as floodwaters rise from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Savina Rodriquez surveys the expanse of a flooded Runnymeade Street after being evacuated by boat to the Kroger on W. Belfort Street at S. Post Oak Blvd. during extreme flooding in Meyerland, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston.

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Savina Rodriquez surveys the expanse of a flooded Runnymeade Street after being evacuated by boat to the Kroger on W. Belfort Street at S. Post Oak Blvd. during extreme flooding in Meyerland, Sunday, Aug. 27,

… more

Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle

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Families cross a flooded bridge near White Oak Bayou, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )

Families cross a flooded bridge near White Oak Bayou, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

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Felipe Grande removes his two dogs from his apartment at Bayou Parc at Oak Forest, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground.( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle) less
Felipe Grande removes his two dogs from his apartment at Bayou Parc at Oak Forest, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as … more

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

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Oscar Galindo and his sons, Donato Galindo, 2, Oscar Galindo, 11, and Andre Galindo, 9, relax while taking shelter at the George R Brown Convention Center after living inside a car after the rain from the Tropical Storm Harvey flooded their home in Dickinson. Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. less
Oscar Galindo and his sons, Donato Galindo, 2, Oscar Galindo, 11, and Andre Galindo, 9, relax while taking shelter at the George R Brown Convention Center after living inside a car after the rain from the … more

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

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Thousands take shelter from the Tropical Storm Harvey at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Thousands take shelter from the Tropical Storm Harvey at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

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A dog walks in the flooded streets while its owners wait out Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017.

A dog walks in the flooded streets while its owners wait out Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017.

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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A man drags his belongings as he makes his way down the street in the Melrose Park neighborhood in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. ( Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle )

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A man drags his belongings as he makes his way down the street in the Melrose Park neighborhood in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. ( Elizabeth Conley

… more

Photo: Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

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Terranysha Ferguson holds her son, Christian Phillips, 1, as she sits with the rest of her family at the convention center.

Terranysha Ferguson holds her son, Christian Phillips, 1, as she sits with the rest of her family at the convention center.

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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Wilfredo Linares reaches out for his baby, Mason, as they are evacuated from Grand Mission subdivision, as the water rises from heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey, on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas. less
Wilfredo Linares reaches out for his baby, Mason, as they are evacuated from Grand Mission subdivision, as the water rises from heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey, on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, unincorporated … more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

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Richard Velasco lifts his dog into an airboat as he and his family are evacuated from the Grand Mission subdivision, as the water rises from heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey, on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )

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Richard Velasco lifts his dog into an airboat as he and his family are evacuated from the Grand Mission subdivision, as the water rises from heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey, on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017,

… more

Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

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Voluntarios y efectivos de la policía del condado de Harris levantan a un anciano en una silla de ruedas en una zona anegada bajo un puente en East Sam Houston North, el 28 de agosto de 2017, en Houston. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP) less
Voluntarios y efectivos de la policía del condado de Harris levantan a un anciano en una silla de ruedas en una zona anegada bajo un puente en East Sam Houston North, el 28 de agosto de 2017, en Houston. … more

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

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Doug Whitty is helped into a truck after being helped out of his flooded home by first responders and volunteers near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. less
Doug Whitty is helped into a truck after being helped out of his flooded home by first responders and volunteers near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Linda Gonzalez, left, hands one-year-old Joshua Bukes Jr. to Harris County Constable deputy Zach Ryan as they rescued people from flooded homes near Aldine Westfield Road during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Humble, Texas. less
Linda Gonzalez, left, hands one-year-old Joshua Bukes Jr. to Harris County Constable deputy Zach Ryan as they rescued people from flooded homes near Aldine Westfield Road during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Laura Blinten is helped into an SUV by CBS correspondent David Begnaud has residents were evacuated from their homes near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. less
Laura Blinten is helped into an SUV by CBS correspondent David Begnaud has residents were evacuated from their homes near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Residents are evacuated from their homes near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. ( Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle )

Residents are evacuated from their homes near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. ( Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle )

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle

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A man reaches to take a small dog from a rescue truck on Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway as evacuations continue from flooding following Hurricane Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

A man reaches to take a small dog from a rescue truck on Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway as evacuations continue from flooding following Hurricane Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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Rescue boats work along Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway helping to evacuate people Monday, August 28, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.

Rescue boats work along Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway helping to evacuate people Monday, August 28, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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Amanda Ankney hugs her father Byron Gilleon after he was rescued from his homes near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Amanda Ankney hugs her father Byron Gilleon after he was rescued from his homes near Crossroads and Walkwood drives during Tropical Storm Harvey Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Flood evacuees from Dickinson board a Texas Air National Guard plane at Galveston’s Scholes International Airport on Monday for transport to safety. 

Flood evacuees from Dickinson board a Texas Air National Guard plane at Galveston’s Scholes International Airport on Monday for transport to safety. 

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

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Overhead view of the floods from Buffalo Bayou on Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway, as heavy rains continued falling from Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Overhead view of the floods from Buffalo Bayou on Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway, as heavy rains continued falling from Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston.

Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle

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JosŽ Alarco shakes hands with his neighbor as he makes his way out of the Melrose Park neighborhood and his flooded home in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. ( Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle )

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JosŽ Alarco shakes hands with his neighbor as he makes his way out of the Melrose Park neighborhood and his flooded home in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Monday, Aug. 28,

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Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

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People cross median to 45 south near Edgebrook to board Metro buses to be taken to a shelter at the GRB Convention Center Sunday, August 27, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.

People cross median to 45 south near Edgebrook to board Metro buses to be taken to a shelter at the GRB Convention Center Sunday, August 27, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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A rescuer carries a child from a boat to a pickup area along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.

A rescuer carries a child from a boat to a pickup area along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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La Vita Bella worker Susan Woodruff and her daughter, Shantell, 17, console each other. 

La Vita Bella worker Susan Woodruff and her daughter, Shantell, 17, console each other. 

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

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Ruby Young waits with her husband, Claude Young, after being rescued from their flooded home by boat and taken to a pickup point along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. The elderly man had many medical issues from a stroke in May. Flooding is wide spread after rain from Hurricane Harvey.

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Ruby Young waits with her husband, Claude Young, after being rescued from their flooded home by boat and taken to a pickup point along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. The elderly man had many medical issues

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Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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Chad Smith, a Task Force One member from the Dallas Fire Dept., carries Christian Rodriguez, 1, from a rescue boat as people are transferred to a pickup point along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017.

Chad Smith, a Task Force One member from the Dallas Fire Dept., carries Christian Rodriguez, 1, from a rescue boat as people are transferred to a pickup point along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017.

Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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Neighbors with boats used their personal boats to rescue Jane Rhodes near FM 2351 and FM 518. Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Friendswood.

Neighbors with boats used their personal boats to rescue Jane Rhodes near FM 2351 and FM 518. Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Friendswood.

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

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Precinct 6 Deputy Constables Sgt. Paul Fernandez, from left, Sgt. Michael Tran and Sgt. Radha Patel rescue an elderly woman from rising water on North MacGregor Way, near Brays Bayou, after heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, August 27, 2017, in Houston. ( Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle )

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Precinct 6 Deputy Constables Sgt. Paul Fernandez, from left, Sgt. Michael Tran and Sgt. Radha Patel rescue an elderly woman from rising water on North MacGregor Way, near Brays Bayou, after heavy rains from the

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Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

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Two kayakers try to beat the current pushing them down an overflowing Brays Bayou along S. Braeswood in Houston, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Rescuers answered hundreds of calls for help Sunday as floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey climbed high enough to begin filling second-story homes, and authorities urged stranded families to seek refuge on their rooftops. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle)

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Two kayakers try to beat the current pushing them down an overflowing Brays Bayou along S. Braeswood in Houston, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Rescuers answered hundreds of calls for help Sunday as floodwaters

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Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle

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A tractor trailer drives through flood waters on S. Braeswood Blvd. between Hillcroft and Chimney Rock streets, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Houston. Brays Bayou was still well inside its banks Saturday morning with limited street flooding and no reported house flooding in the Meyerland area yet.

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A tractor trailer drives through flood waters on S. Braeswood Blvd. between Hillcroft and Chimney Rock streets, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Houston. Brays Bayou was still well inside its banks Saturday morning

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Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle

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Nathan Kaufman stands on the stairwell of the apartment complex he lived in before Hurricane Harvey Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Rockport, Texas.

Nathan Kaufman stands on the stairwell of the apartment complex he lived in before Hurricane Harvey Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Rockport, Texas.

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Edna Police patrolman Robert Chastain takes a nap inside the Edna High School Gymnasium, where Jackson County first responders will take shelter, before Hurricane Harvey makes landfall Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Edna, Texas. Chastain said he had not slept in three days, since he was working, so every chance to sleep before hurricane will help. less
Edna Police patrolman Robert Chastain takes a nap inside the Edna High School Gymnasium, where Jackson County first responders will take shelter, before Hurricane Harvey makes landfall Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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Dave McGrew looks into the cabin of an 18-wheeler that was flipped on its side on Highway 59 West as Hurricane Harvey hit the Central Gulf Coast Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Texas. Mcgrew stopped while on his way to check on his family in Victoria, Texas. less
Dave McGrew looks into the cabin of an 18-wheeler that was flipped on its side on Highway 59 West as Hurricane Harvey hit the Central Gulf Coast Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Texas. Mcgrew stopped while on his … more

Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle

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A guest staying at The San Luis Resort excitingly taking a photograph of the Gulf of Mexico from her balcony hours before Hurricane Harvey is scheduled to make landfall Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Galveston.

A guest staying at The San Luis Resort excitingly taking a photograph of the Gulf of Mexico from her balcony hours before Hurricane Harvey is scheduled to make landfall Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Galveston.

Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON – Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are revving up a debate that had gone quiet in Washington recently as the sheer scale of the destruction in Texas, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands forces political leaders to again confront the question of climate change, its role in the increasing frequency of violent storms and its impact on health, safety and the economy.

In the immediate aftermath, Republicans and Democrats are falling into familiar positions around an issue on which no immediate policy is expected any time soon, particularly under a president in Donald Trump who has consistently questioned the severity of climate change’s threat. But the one-two punch of the storms, which cost more than 100 lives and well over $100 billion in estimated damage, are at least prompting rethinking of the issue and what Washington can or should do to address climate change, political observers said.

“Short term, does it change anything? No,” said Stephen Brown, a top lobbyist for the San Antonio refiner Andeavor, formerly known as Tesoro. “But long term, does it encourage consideration by some who are on the fence that this is a serious issue and deserves a lot more careful consideration than has been given to it? This is the conversation among Republicans right now.”

Bob Inglis, a former Republican congressman from South Carolina who runs the environmental group Republicen, noted that Republicans who have long used climate change as a punch line to rile up their base were becoming more cautious as flooding events piled up, recounting the dour mood in his home state last year following flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew.

“Because people had experienced climate change, this epic storm is consistent with the models of what we would expect from climate change,” he said. “If anyone had attempted a joke, it would have gone over like a lead balloon.”

Washington has grappled with climate change for decades, coming closest to a policy solution in 2009 when bipartisan legislation creating a cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gas emissions – similar to that in place in Europe – passed the House before stalling in the Senate in the face of concentrated opposition from the oil, gas and coal industries. Since then, the debate has devolved into a partisan dogfight.

Focus on other issues

This week, as Democrats offered Harvey and Irma as proof positive of climate change’s threat, Republicans countered that powerful storms have happened throughout history, as Trump did aboard Air Force One on Thursday.

“If you go back into the ’30s and ’40s, and you go back into the teens,” he said, “you’ll see storms that were very similar and even bigger, OK?”

With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, any meaningful action on climate change is considered dead on arrival for the foreseeable future as lawmakers focus on other issues such as tax reform, the federal budget and immigration.

At a breakfast hosted by the American Petroleum Institute last week, the trade group’s president, Jack Gerard, said there was little reason to worry about regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions produced by oil and other fossil fuels. The agenda of the Trump administration is “quite clear,” he said. “It’s about benefiting Americans, creating jobs in America.”

As the event wrapped up, Rep. Gene Green, a Houston Democrat who walks a fine line between calling for climate action and supporting the oil and gas refineries that fill his district, said even discussing the potential role of climate change in the series of destructive storms was unlikely to get much time in Congress.

“We probably won’t have a hearing on any of that,” he said. “There’s a few on the Republican side, but nowhere near the number you would need.”

Complicating politics in Washington is uncertainty about the relationship between climate change and hurricanes among scientists. There is near unanimous agreement among scientists that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – much of it from burning fossil fuels – poses a threat to coastlines and low-lying areas through increased rainfall and rising sea levels from melting polar ice caps. But how that might affect the development and strength of hurricanes remains one of the controversial areas of the field.

A basic tenet of meteorology is hurricanes feed off warm ocean waters – hence they only form in late summer and fall when surface temperatures are at their warmest. And with rising global temperatures warming oceans, scientists have long speculated the Earth would experience more severe hurricanes than in the past.

Many elements at work

But there remain “large uncertainties,” said Pedram Hassanzadeh, an engineering professor at Rice University who studies the impact of climate change on weather. Even as climate change causes ocean temperatures to rise, so too does it likely affect wind patterns and the movement of air through the upper reaches of the atmosphere, potentially reducing the formation of hurricanes.

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In its most recent report, the International Panel on Climate Change downgraded its forecast of more severe storms from “likely” to “low confidence.”

“The number of major hurricanes is something that will depend on a lot of factors,” Hassanzadeh said. “The hope is in the next cycles of research, we reduce the uncertainty.”

Some Republicans, such as Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, have seized on the uncertainty around hurricanes as an argument for not taking action to reduce the carbon emissions that come from fossil fuel production in states like Texas.

“It’s important to remember that hurricanes Harvey and Irma, while devastating, do not indicate a climate trend,” he said. “Right now, though, the focus should be on getting displaced Americans back to their homes, assessing the damage and rebuilding. That’s what my colleagues and I are focused on.”

But the future of dogged skeptics like Smith is coming into some question in the Republican Party. Last year, a pair of congressmen from South Florida, one Republican, one Democrat, formed the Climate Solutions Caucus – a bipartisan group dedicated to politically realistic solutions to climate change. Membership is limited because the caucus must have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Still, it counts a membership of 56 House members – about one-tenth of Congress. The coalition has no members from Texas.

Cornyn, Cruz reticent

In the aftermath of Harvey, Texas Republicans have largely kept quiet on the issue of climate change. Eager to talk at any opportunity about relief efforts, neither Sens. Jon Cornyn nor Ted Cruz, nor a single Republican member representing areas affected by Harvey, responded to requests for comment on this story – Smith being the exception.

How much longer their constituents will let them stay quiet on climate change remains to be seen. A recent public opinion survey conducted by Yale University and George Mason University found 58 percent of Texans are worried about climate change, with coastal areas and drought-prone regions most concerned.

On the Texas coast, a group of local leaders that includes Republicans and Democrats is lobbying for federal funding to build a seawall to protect the coast from storms, specifically the area around Houston where refineries and petrochemical plants are an economic linchpin.

Michel Bechtel, mayor of Morgan’s Point, just east of Houston, has spent three weeks trying to bring his town back to normalcy after receiving 4 feet of rain during Harvey. He is no climate activist, questioning predictions about worsening storms and flooding: “One man’s crisis is another man’s ehhh.”

But when it comes to getting a seawall built that would protect the Houston Ship Channel, along which his community lies, he said he’ll happily take assistance in the name of climate change.

“If you want to use it and hype it, sure, but I don’t go there,” he said. “Basically, if that’s what you believe, you better do something.”