Two Words: Hurricane Harvey. Thousands affected in the fourth largest city in the U.S. by one of the greatest disasters in the history of our country. Resources run low and death tolls continue to rise. And amidst the devastating chaos, the beautiful harmony of people working together to put forth their best efforts in providing support and relief during this time.
Exactly one week ago on Thursday was the first I heard of Harvey heading our way. Being that I was new to Houston and never really experienced anything like this in Atlanta, I took as no big deal. Sure, maybe it would rain a bit and Houston has been known to flood, so I figured the roads would be blocked and it would just make my commute a little longer, that’s all.
Little did I know that we would be sent home early from orientation on Friday after rain leaked through the roof in our orientation classroom and we would all be stuck in the house for the remainder of the week. I started to see news stories and articles about how to prepare for and survive this terrible disaster and soon that was all anyone was talking about. I heard of the tragic deaths and immense challenges faced by those closely affected. And I realized how lucky I was that despite our local roads and surrounding neighborhoods flooding, our home and family went untouched, unaffected by it all.
During this time of chaos, I also saw something that renewed my faith in humanity: People coming from all over the country to aid in relief efforts, and neighbors rescuing neighbors with rafts and boats in whatever way they could. Although it is unfortunate that it often takes a tragedy to bring people close together, it is nevertheless heartwarming to see, and really makes me feel like a true Houstonian.
The hurricane turned tropical storm is now over, and businesses are slowly starting to open back up, but the floods and the traffic and the damage after it all will require a great amount of time, effort, and resources to repair to its normal state. Check out some of the shocking pictures below and click here to donate to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund to play your part in recovering from one of the greatest natural disasters to ever hit our country.
