On Friday, August 25th, Harvey, a category 4 hurricane, hit the shores of Corpus Christi around 9 in the evening with heavy rainfall and winds up to 130 miles per hour. Forecasters called it the first major hurricane to land in over 12 years.
Thousands of people fled their homes and sought refuge in the countless shelters that opened their doors during this crisis. Harvey tore through Corpus relentlessly. It ripped roofs off of houses, toppled billboard signs, and brought down power lines. Electricity was unavailable for weeks and water levels remained elevated for a few days because of the slow motion of Harvey.
Not only was Corpus Christi effected but the surrounding areas as well.
Chrisell Navarrette, senior, was stuck for about a week in Humble, Texas because of the intense flooding.
“ When I was driving past Corpus in the aftermath of Harvey, I saw gas stations with their roofs missing, it was really bad,” Navarrette said.
Houston was hit with extreme heavy rainfall that caused major flooding; 3 to 4 inches of rain was recorded in an hours time. Houstonians had been advised to stay put to avoid the dangerous flood waters on the roads.
“I was stuck inside throughout the storm and it was a scary experience because I knew people out there were having a difficult time” Navarrette said.
The people who were affected lost their homes and were left with no resources such as food and water. Luckily people not directly affected by hurricane Harvey did what they could to help in this terrible situation by donating bottled water, towels, food, and much more.
“I think the one thing I’ll always remember about this situation was that it brought people together, that was inspiring,” Navarrete said.
Even though hurricane Harvey was a frightening experience for many, thankfully there were countless organizations and people willing to offer their unending help.