This is another in a series of looks back at Harvey, as told through the photos of its victims.

Melissa Sturgis, self-described “oil-patch gypsy,” is still angry. “My entire home.  Treasured antiques, three generations back from New England, are on this curb. Furniture and collectibles from eight years overseas in Malaysia, London and Russia. It’s a crime.”

Silver Lining

Melissa Sturgis lives in Alaska now and says she is not moving back, though she keeps in touch with all of her Kingwood friends.

“Harvey was devastating, but it actually had a silver lining.  It shook us out of complacency and made us more resilient…taught us that life is about more than things….it’s about perfect strangers coming together to help one another. People opening their home to the five of us for several days.”

“As a side note, my brother in law, sister in law, nephew and 2 cats from Sugarland were forced to evacuate. They drove hours in the torrential rain to get to my house in KW for safety–then lost their two cars in my driveway—AND THEY NEVER FLOODED IN SUGARLAND. And my sister in law had cancer at the time….and still does.”

“Yes it was tortuous, tossing out Great Grandma’s Dining Room table onto the pile….as Grandma (who also flooded and was evacuated from Arbor Terrace in Town Center) sat on the sidewalk watching her things and her mother’s antiques get tossed. Excruciating. But we survived. I’m just grateful I am no longer there. I was in Kingwood last week visiting my mother in law and Fosters Mill Estates STILL has houses abandoned or partially fixed and for sale. Some are still being worked on. It’s awful.”

Why I’m Posting These Now

Melissa donated her pictures to the cause in the hope that they will help create awareness of the devastation that flooding causes, and perhaps, just perhaps, they may create some positive change, too. Thanks, Melissa!

I’m posting these now for several reasons:

• Council Member Martin and Mayor Turner are hosting a town hall meeting on March 21st
• It’s been a year since Mayor Turner promised the community 10 additional flood gates for Lake Houston and dredging of the mouth bar.
• Sand mining contributed to the Harvey Disaster and bills that would strengthen sand mining regulation have reached the Natural Resources and Energy Resources committees in the State House of Representatives.
• Romerica is proposing to build 25-50 story high rises near the floodway of the San Jacinto. Regulators need to be reminded of what Harvey did to people who trusted them for protection.
• Hopefully, we won’t repeat the mistakes of the past…if people remember.

If you have pictures from Harvey that you would like to share with the world, please send them through the submissions page of this web site.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/13/2019

561 Days since Hurricane Harvey