The Current Condition In Houston

From August 25th through September 3rd, 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and resulted in widespread destruction which has had devastating consequences for the past month. With the onset of other catastrophic hurricanes after Harvey passed, like Irma and soon Maria, it is easy to forget about the victims of Harvey while we are caught up in fear surrounding the future; victims in Houston and surrounding areas still need our attention and support. It is important to mention that I am not trying to downplay the destruction caused by Irma and similar events, since that too was tragic, but just reminding everyone not to completely forget about those who lost everything in Harvey. Their situation may not dominate news broadcasts and the concern of the public as it once did, but victims are still out there: an extraordinary amount of them.

 

So what is happening in Texas right now, and how are the victims of Harvey receiving the support they deserve? Well, about 20,000 people are still staying in hotels, and several thousand don’t have electricity. The residents who didn’t lose their homes and possessions entirely are dealing with mold problems and immense damage which will be extremely costly to fix. At an estimated $160 billion worth of damage, the cost of damage caused by the hurricane is going to be difficult to account for. City officials in Houston worry about finding the resources to help all of its citizens and repair the infrastructure itself.  There are shortages of supplies to rebuild homes, schools, and businesses, and some areas still have not completely ridden their streets of flood water. Overall, the parts of Texas hit by the hurricane are nowhere near finished recovering; the long process has only just begun. But, hope has come in the form of others. Thousands of charities raising money for victims in Harvey have generated millions of dollars in donations, and many organizations are offering assistance for free. The Houston Food Bank and similar services are accepting online donations, The Texas Diaper Bank utilize their donations by helping the affected children, and the organization Portlight is helping victims with disabilities. These groups are only a few examples of the thousands which are helping all aspects of those hurt by Harvey. In addition, citizens of the affected areas say the tragedy has only brought them closer as a community and led to more powerful connections between family and neighbor.

Houston and other hurting areas are receiving nowhere near the amount of help they need to fully recover, but that doesn’t mean the organizations working tirelessly to assist those struggling are anything but selfless and caring citizens. In my opinion, as long as the communities in Texas maintain their strong connections, and the media does not forget about the victims of Harvey, hope can be seen at the end of a long tunnel for these sufferers.