Way back in March, my mom had booked tickets for her and me to attend a friend’s wedding in Houston during the week of September 5th. When the news of Hurricane Harvey broke out in late August, we (along with the rest of the world) were devastated. Texas was in a state of disaster, people lost their homes and belongings, and a few were killed.
Flights were canceled and we were unsure if we could be traveling to Texas or if the wedding was still happening. Fortunately, the bride’s house in Houston did not get damaged, even though many of their neighbors’ houses did. We were lucky that our flights were not canceled and arrived in Houston on September 6th. We were staying at a friend’s place and while their house did not get damaged, much of their neighborhood did. Our host also apologized for not having much food in their house as stores were rationing items. When I walked around their neighborhood, this was a common site: loads of “trash” outside the house. The “trash” included flooring and walls that were destroyed during the hurricane, as well as damaged furniture.
When we visited a friend in League City, a suburb of Houston, the same sight was seen. Heaps of damaged material laying on their lawns and sidewalks.
Our friend remarked that during the hurricane, he would see neighbors rafting outside, as it was safer than being inside their flooded homes.
While Houston looked better than I expected due to the immediate reconstruction, it was still obvious that the city was once in shambles. Many power lines and cell phone towers were destroyed, and we did not get cell phone reception in many parts of the town; our Uber drivers’ GPS signal often got cut. Freeways and roads were under repair, which meant a 10-minute ride would turn into a 45-minute ride. Speaking of Uber drivers, many of ours were fresh to the business. Uber, as well as other companies in Houston, was facing a shortage of workers due to evacuations and was willing to hire people immediately.
One of our drivers, Stephanie, remarked how she was an eighth grade teacher, but had decided over the summer to take a break from teaching. However, once Harvey hit, some of her belongings were destroyed and was in need of money. Not only did she have to return to teaching this fall, but had to get a quick Uber side gig for extra cash.
Stephanie wasn’t the only one. Another driver, Alex, remarked, “Harvey was a b***h to us. We evacuated to Dallas, where there were 10 of us in a 3-bedroom house with no food. Now I’m driving people in this area, but have to go back to Dallas in the night to sleep. Sometimes, it’s too far, so I’ll just crash in my car since my house got destroyed.”
Another one of our Uber drivers, Greg, said, “I’m just happy to be alive. I’m so glad my kids are safe. I’m doing what I can to help my family.”
It was my first time visiting Texas and while I was only there for a few days, I could definitely see that there is a long way left to restore it. It was good that most people I talked to had a positive attitude about the situation and were thankful that they were alive.
Fortunately, many celebrities have donated to the cause, and so have people from around the world. It doesn’t matter the amount you donate as anything will help the people of Texas.
The easiest way to donate $10 is by simply texting HARVEY to 90999.
