Rebuilding-Post Harvey and the Aftermath

I have never been more fearful of a storm than with Hurricane Harvey.  I am mentally, physically, psychologically, and spiritually exhausted. Sleep has evaded me numerous times. When I do dream, my dreams are sporadic and chaotic. I can't rest because I wake up hearing the pelting of rain even though it hasn't rained for a week. I peer into a hole that has been patched in my bedroom ceiling. I am the fortunate one. My repairs are nothing. Nothing compared to friends and family who peer into flooded houses and breathe in the toxic fumes of mold and backed up sewage.

The last week has been a blur. As of Sunday, I couldn't remember what day it was. I just wanted to get back to some kind of normal. In other ways, I feel shell shocked and somewhat paralyzed. I have binged watched KTRK Channel 13 News from Thursday, August 24th to Friday, September 1st. Face Book, Twitter, and group texting were my best friends. They kept me in touch with friends and family through this horrendous time. I am truly grateful for social media. With social media, I was able to stay in communication with so many.

I wrote a post on Thursday, when my sister and nephew were able to safely return to their home. I wanted to leave my thoughts intact on that day. Please read below:

View of the Bayou from my hotel Monday, August 28th

I felt extremely stressed thinking about the bayou behind my house, and if it would hold the flood waters from entering my neighborhood.The rain wouldn't stop. At times, we would catch a break, but that was mostly during the day, for about an hour or two. I feared nighttime. It seemed that at nighttime the rains were relenting. I kept vigilant and stayed up most nights. Chief Meteorologist Tim Heller, from KTRK Channel 13, advised the viewers to stay up because the water might creep in the house while we slept. I thought of Katrina and how people took shelter in their attics. They had to use hatchets to make a pathway to the roof. "Don't go to the attic," Tim Heller kept saying. I had my ladder ready in the garage in case we would need it to get to our roof. The rains we so unforgiving. I couldn't imagine staying on the roof in the cold night with rain pelting my sister, nephew, and me. It was so cold and harsh. I drove to the bayou to see what was happening. Each time, it seemed to hold, but the levels were getting close to bridge. We had about 12 inches to give. "Stop raining!" I kept thinking. During this time, I was able to find out how my friends were doing in Houston. We kept encouraging each other on Face Book, Twitter, and by text. We asked for prayer and words of consolation. My family in Ohio and beyond were also communicating with me through Face Book and texts. I left many posts begging for prayers. They came through in a big way.

Monday morning, at 2 am, my brother-in-law, who decided to ride out the storm in his trailer, phoned my sister to let her know that the water was rising in his neighborhood. In his area, it had never flooded, but the water rose to the middle of his car's tire and up the first step to his trailer. He didn't know what to do. Should he stay or go? If he left, he might encounter higher levels of water en route to my house. He wasn't a confident swimmer. Not only that, but an elderly neighbor refused to evacuate. After much consideration, my brother-in-law decided to stay and ride the storm out to help his neighbor.

 Morning view of Bayou on Tuesday, September 29th 

Finally, after three days of constant rain, I decided to see if there were any hotels with vacant rooms near my house. The first two hotels were overbooked. On the third try, The Days Inn near me gave me a room on the third floor. My sister, nephew, and I went out in the pouring, pelting rain to bring what we could to the hotel. We made four trips. When I finished, I was completely drenched. My adrenaline must be overtaken me because I don't remember feeling cold at all. I was determined to do what I could before a potentially flooding situation. While in the hotel, I met so many people that were fleeing the flooding in their areas. One man told me that he had driven for 8 hours to get to the hotel. He only lived 5 miles away from the hotel. His apartment complex had completely flooded out and roads were difficult to traverse. I met so many people who were worse off. Others feared that their areas were in imminent danger of flooding.  I felt a sense of relief knowing that I would be safe on the third floor, but wondered how bad the flood waters would be if we received the twenty-five inches of additional rain that were forecasted. "We can't take that much rain!" I thought. I begged my family and friends to pray, pray, pray! There was nothing else we could do. It wasn't up to us anymore. We were helpless. Monday night, during the weather forecast, Travis Herzog (KTRK Meteorologist), announced some good news. He stated that Harvey moved onto the East and that the Northwestern parts of Houston would receive less rain than projected. I eyed the bayou. It was holding steady and the water levels weren't increasing. The next day, I woke up at five am to watch the news cast. I peered down at the bayou and it seemed to have lowered! I couldn't believe it. I watched Travis Herzog show us how Harvey was moving away from us and was headed toward East Texas and Louisiana. That was fantastic news.  By noon, I could actually see the reeds in the

Afternoon view of Bayou on Tuesday, September 29th

middle of the bayou. What a gift! 

Finally after 6 long days, I breathed a sigh of relief!  My family was fine, but at the same time, many people were suffering. Many of my friends had to rescued after Saturday/Sunday/Monday rains. They were rescued by boats floating through their once dry neighborhoods. One friend, had to flag down a boat to help her with her two elderly parents who could barely walk much less swim. They made it to the George R Brown Convention Center. In Face Book posts, another friend chronicled how the water inched closer and closer to her house and neighborhood. By Monday, flood waters entered her house. She was rescued by boat. Still others friends evacuated their homes because the Barker and Addicts Reservoir released tons of water over multiple days. The initial days of rain from Tropical Storm Harvey didn't overwhelm their neighborhood, but the reservoir release brought in droves of water. They waited on street corners for boats, dump trucks, and jet skies to rescue them. Many are displaced in shelters or are staying with family and friends.


When I arrived home from the hotel, I appreciated my humble abode even more.

Blue skies emerge in Cypress, Texas on September 30th at 6 pm.

I appreciated seeing a blue sky emerging from the clouds on Thursday evening. I appreciated being able to drive to Hart's Chicken and order the greasiest comfort food of fried chicken and red beans and rice. I appreciated seeing my neighbors talking to each other outside swapping horror stories. I appreciated the great gift of family and friends who checked up on each other. I am truly grateful.

As the water subsides in Houston, I know that we will not be the same. Mine life, for one, has changed. Although I am grateful, I feel afraid now, and an uneasiness fills my soul. What if my house had flooded? What would I do? How would I survive? Where would I live? When will the next storm hit? Will I be as fortunate? Parts of me want to pick up and move, yet I want to dig my heels in and fight. Maybe this feeling of uneasiness is normal, and quite possibly it will subside. I don't really know. We will see. All I know is that I survived an eight hundred year storm with catastrophic implications. In the next storm, will I be as fortunate? Only God knows. One day at time.