By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Houston and most of the Texas Gulf Coast has a problem, and it’s called Harvey. On Friday night, the category 4 storm slammed into Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, Texas. According to the National Hurricane Center, Harvey brought winds of 130 mph. Here’s how it looked, courtesy of NOAA/NASA, when it was approaching. At the time this image was taken, it had maximum sustained winds of only 110 mph.
Much of the media coverage has been about Houston, the fourth largest city in the country and my home. We’ve been pelted by catastrophic rain bands, breaking records and hearts with its devastation. Fifteen trillion gallons of water have been dumped onto our city, and it will not recede for days. Seems like a record number of Tornado warnings have been issued, one after another urging those in the whirlwind path to take shelter.
In this writing, I’m looking out my kitchen window watching the incessant rain. My husband and I have been blessed with only minor issues, and we are looking forward to helping others if only in a small way. None of us wanted the distinction of experiencing the worst flooding in US history. This article gives the stats: http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/28/harvey-by-numbers.html
Where do people flee when they’re unable to leave their homes due to water-filled streets? How can victims be helped when 911 appears non responsive as the emergency service is experiencing unprecedented calls? The answer is the many brave men and women, both local and those from outside the region, who are able stepped up to the challenge arriving with boats in tow. This map shows just some of the road closures as of this writing. We’re near the blue dot in upper left-hand corner.
The countless heroic stories surfacing above the dirty water confirm my faith in humanity. Although I could never list the thousands of heroes emerging from their circumstances to help others, I invite you to see read some of their stories here. https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2017/8/27/the-heroes-of-hurricane-harvey
Otis, the dog who left his home near Corpus Christi has become a symbol of the Texas Spirit. https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/08/27/viral-photo-shows-hero-dog-personifying-the-texas-spirit-amid-hurricane-harvey/
The Red Cross, the National Guard, food banks, many churches, and individuals are working around the clock to assist victims. Here’s a partial list of those organizations who are accepting donations. I encourage you to explore the various entities. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/27/16211642/hurricane-harvey-donations-charities-disaster-relief
Southern Baptists are well known nationally for their Disaster Response teams. Our church is partnering with the state level Disaster Relief team. You can partner and make a donation with them here.
Most of all, we thank you for your continued prayers for all those impacted by the storms. May God’s peace be extended in a powerful way.
DiAnn’s Library Corner
Librarian – Today is tomorrow’s history. Encourage your patrons to learn from what has gone on before them.
If you would like to help the Texas Library Family during this time of disaster, visit this site for ideas.
