Waters rising in our backyard midway through Hurricane Harvey
On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast. Living miles inland, we didn't think we had anything to worry about. Boy, were we ever wrong!!! Stubborn Harvey, made landfall three times. Over 51 inches of rain fell. By storms end, one third of the giant city of Houston, was underwater... including our home in Kingwood, Texas. Everything was fine until the evening of August 28 when Lake Conroe, which is about an hour away, began releasing water at a rate of 80,000 cubic feet per second. A wall of water flooded our home with five feet of water.
On September 1st, we walked back in our home for the first time... we were stunned...
It is a surreal feeling to see all of your belongings ruined by mud and silt or completely washed away. Oddly, I couldn't cry, the situation was too shocking!
Within an hour or so, Barry's coworker arrived with a team from his church to help gut our home. They were amazing. Gentle and kind. Each step was explained to us before it happened. The sheetrock and insulation had to be removed... all of our soaked and muddy furnishings had to be removed... cabinets, cupboards, appliances all had to be removed... everything we had worked for...
Everything was put into a giant pile outside on the street.
Standing in front of all we had worked for...
I will always wonder what we were thinking as we smiled while standing in front of the debris... our life...
Despite the devastation, we experienced many blessings.
They came to lift us up...
This couple cooked all night and drove from Louisianna to deliver food to volunteers. Their main purpose was to encourage flood victims as they were in the same position last year. They said, "It doesn't seem like it at this moment, but everything WILL be okay. We are proof that you will get through this". We were also reminded more than once that this is a marathon, not a race.
So the marathon began...
