Hurricane Harvey has taken so much from Houston and surrounding areas. As life starts getting back to normal, or for some a temporary new normal, I reflect on this city and its heroes.
Disclosure: Permission was obtained by all parties in this post to use photos, video, and graphics. Featured image created by Sissy Hamilton.
Everyone seems to have their “Harvey Story.” Mine turned out very uneventful in the end. Unfortunately, others cannot say the same. Our house stayed dry, and my husband and kids lost power for 2 days while hunkering down at home while I was at the hospital. (For those that don’t know, I’m a nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston). There were several sleepless nights for me, constantly checking my phone getting updates from my husband as to where the water was by our house.
Harvey barreled to the Texas Coast as a category 4 hurricane, heading straight for Corpus Christi. It made landfall in Rockport, TX on Saturday August 26th, then set his eyes and all his rain on Houston… and boy did he pour, dropping over 50” of rain in some areas in just 3 days. He took streets, highways, trees, homes, furniture, clothes, food, human life, animal life, and so much more. Saturday through Wednesday at the Hospital, we were all glued to the news and our phones (in between patient care) for updates from family. Harvey seemed to be taking so much from others, what would it take from us??
While we watched and got updates, it became very clear what Harvey’s fury could never take – our SPIRIT. The heroism, love, and outreaching of help we saw through our news screens brought us to tears more than, ooh, a dozen times a least.
Human chain formed to rescue people from SUV stuck in water, tweeted by @abc13houston
Dozens Of People Tow Their Boats To The Flooded Texas Areas To Help by ViralHog on Rumble
My friend Kayla posted this picture on Facebook captioned: “Not your typical bump pic.. 28 weeks. Got to go in our home and see everything before all the demo began. It’s been hard being pregnant and not being able to help with anything! I know things could be worse so we are definitely blessed that we are all safe and that this is just an inconvenience for the time being.”
My friend Rachel posting an update and thank you on Facebook.After her home flooded,she, her husband, and their 10-month old daughter sought shelter at her parents’ house.Then, sadly, as the water in Houston continued to rise, they had to be rescued from her parents’ house the next day as it also flooded.
My husband’s friend and co-worker, who’s home was a quarter mile from the Barker Resivour outlet, took on 5 feet of water during the flooding. His home was filled with water for 14 days. Devastating… his family of 4 will be displaced for quite some time.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. So many Houstonians north, south, east, and west are living this reality of rebuilding their homes and lives. Ten homes in my own small neighborhood took on water, and seeing the support from ALL the neighbors has been amazing.
Now as Florida is dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, we Texans pray hard for our coastal neighbors down the street in Florida. May God Bless Texas and Florida.
To help with the clean-up efforts and support, as some still reside in shelters with their families, please donate to The American Red Cross by clicking HERE. Use the dropdown box under donation amount to also donate to Hurricane Irma victims.
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