Hurricane Harvey

August 26, 2017 Hurricane Harvey made its debut on the Texas coast. As one of the biggest hurricanes to ever hit Texas it caused immense damage to every city in its path. One of these cities was La Porte, my hometown, located southeast of Houston. I spent that weekend clinging to my phone waiting to hear back from friends and family. It was a weekend full of "Are y'all okay? Have we lost any loved ones? Have we lost the house? What can I do to help?" While my immediate family was fortunate to only lose a small amount, some of my other friends and loved ones were not. One of my friends lost her father to the floods and others lost literally everything they worked so hard for. I had never felt more helpless.

As soon as the roads were dry enough, I packed a bag and headed to Houston. I could not help when the storm hit, but now that it was over I could assist with the aftermath. As I drove home my eyes filled with tears as I crossed the Houston city line and saw the devastation Harvey had on my city. Neighborhood streets were lined with ruined furniture, pulled up carpet, broken tree limbs, debree, and more as families slowly began to gut their houses and tally their losses. I spent that first school weekend delivering groceries and meals, shoveling mud out of friend's homes, helping pile up destroyed belongings, doing laundry, and most importantly spending time with those I loved. Though my impact was small, I was more than happy to be there for my people and my city. #HoustonStrong

Photo courtesy of NASA/NOAA GOES Project