Ginger Zee talks all things drought, sea levels and bayou cleanup during visit to Space City
ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee highlighted Houston's hidden gems as part of Good Morning America's Closer to Home Tour.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee paid a visit to Space City!
Zee came to Houston as part of Good Morning America's Closer to Home Tour.
She is traveling around the U.S. throughout the summer, highlighting many cities 'hidden gems.
A major part of Zee's visit to Houston was spending time with "Bayou Dave."
READ MORE: Bayou Dave is on a mission to save Houston's bayous
David Rivers is a Buffalo Bayou Partnership employee on a mission to clean up the water.
He goes out with the Clean & Green team every week, trying to bring the bayous back to their full beauty.
They collect several tons of trash each year, both by hand and using their specially invented bio-vac boat.
WATCH: Why the push to clean up our city starts with the bayous
The boat sucks up trash along the surface of the water. Rivers said one person can make a difference, and he hopes people will think twice before throwing their trash.
Also during her visit, Zee joined ABC13 Meteorologist Elita Loresca in downtown Houston to discuss all things weather -- including the current drought and rising sea levels.
In the Houston area, just for the month, Zee said Houston is 5 inches below-average rainfall.
And along the coast to Lake Charles, the area is more than 14 inches below normal.
The drought has resulted in 180 Texas counties issuing burn bans.
You can learn more about the drought across the country and in southeast Texas by watching the video at the top of this page.
Zee and Loresca also discussed the rising sea levels, not just in the U.S., but around the globe.
WATCH: Sea levels are rising, and yes, that includes Houston: What to know
At the current rate of global warming, 80% of islands could be uninhabitable by 2050.
Zee said areas like the more than 300 islands in the Maldives are losing groundwater as the sea levels rise.
The good news is that many communities are researching and implementing solutions like reclaimed islands, coral restoration and floating islands.
WATCH: Electric vehicles and Texas: Meteorologists Elita Loresca and Ginger Zee look at the state's plan
Recently, Zee embarked on "Ginger's Ultimate Road Trip" -- traveling across the country in an electric vehicle.
Zee and her team drove many electric vehicles at many price points.
She said despite what many might think, they didn't have any trouble finding places to charge.
