Well, then the hurricane people that were sent to Houston will feel right at home...because what you described is exactly how Houston feels in the summer...blech!
It's steamier in NO, but not by much. It rains more in NO, but there are more frog strangler storms in Houston.
Folks here in Utah think a half inch of rain is a lot. What do they know?
Yes. I've been to Houston many times. I have some family there. The main difference is that you guys have flooding because of concrete. There's actually someplace for the water to go afterward. But, you're right, I've never noticed much difference in climate...:-)