The Nine-Month Anniversary of Harvey
Today marks 270 days since Harvey devastated one of the most beautiful communities in America. This weekend is the nine-month anniversary, the official start of yet another hurricane season, and Memorial Day. So it seems only fitting to look back.
The street in front of Jennifer Trimble’s home as she and her son were being rescued by boat.
Paul Margaritis, a friend and neighbor sent me the video below as a reminder.
It shows a one-block drive down Woods Estates in Kings Forest (one block west of Kingwood High School and north of Kingwood Drive). However, it could be any street in the Lake Houston Area shortly after Harvey. I remember not even being able to get into many neighborhoods because of all the debris cascading into streets. Foster’s Mill, Kingwood Lakes, and parts of Kings Point come to mind. Debris and vehicles completely filled the streets and blocked traffic.
Nine months later, the heartbreak has gone indoors, but it’s still there. You can see it in campers parked in driveways – where people are living as they complete repairs. You can see it in “Now Open” signs that have just appeared on retail establishments. You can see it in building permits, dumpsters, contractor pickups, and port-o-lets still occupying people’s yards.
Home, Home on the Driveway! The Slaughter family has been living in a trailer for 9 months as they try to restore their home.
And all too frequently, you can see scenes, such as this – a grim reminder of the recovery that just never seems to end.
Repair work continues at the home of a Kingwood business owner who has been living out of a hotel for nine months now.
Most people that I talk to who were flooded still only live in parts of their homes – if they’re in their homes at all. If you ask when they expect their homes to be fully restored, they may smile and say, “By the end of summer.” But every time a contractor fails to show up for a week, they pray it won’t be the summer of 2020.
This is why we can never forget the destruction caused by Harvey and why we must press the fight for flood mitigation measures.
The cost of mitigation will be a tiny fraction of the cost of damages from flooding.
Had we followed the recommendations of engineers after 1994 and Allison, perhaps fewer people would have had their lives turned upside down by Harvey.
It’s both ironic and fitting that the 9-month anniversary of Harvey should happen on Memorial Day weekend.
Posted on May 26 by Bob Rehak
270 Days since Hurricane Harvey