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After the Storm

Scholastic reporter Cody Crane and her family survived the historic flooding in Houston, Texas, caused by Hurricane Harvey

September 1, 2017
By Cody Crane, Scholastic reporter
AP Photo/David J. Phillip

A Houston police officer carries a woman and child to safety after rescuing them from their home.

One week after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, my hometown of Houston is still reeling from the massive storm. People along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. have weathered many hurricanes over the years. But Harvey turned out to be unlike anything we’d ever seen. It dropped a record amount of rain—about 1.2 meters (4 feet)—on Houston, causing catastrophic flooding.

My family was able to safely ride out the hurricane, which turned out to be the strongest to hit the U.S. in 13 years. But many people weren’t so lucky. So far an estimated 100,000 houses have been affected—leaving many without a place to live. As many as half a million cars were likely damaged by floodwaters as well. And at least 46 people died during the storm.

STRANGE STORM

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Rescuers in a boat help residents escape floodwaters in Texas.

Hurricanes are huge, spinning storms that form over oceans. They move across the water and usually weaken once they reach land. But Harvey acted strangely. It got caught between other weather systems. That caused it to sit in the same spot, dropping more rain in a few days than the area typically receives in an entire year. That allowed Harvey to do a lot of damage.

As the rain began to pummel southeastern Texas, floodwaters quickly rose. Rivers, reservoirs, and bayous—channels that crisscross Houston to remove excess water—quickly overflowed their banks. Roadways and neighborhoods soon became swamped by several feet of water, stranding people inside cars, homes, and businesses.

RISING WATERS

Cody Crane

Like many people in Houston, my family and I were trapped inside our house by rising waters. Fortunately, the water only reached our front doorstep and didn’t make it inside. That wasn’t the case for many other people. My family joined neighbors wading through chest-high water to check on people in flooded homes. We took in relatives living nearby who had lost everything in the floods.

Rescue workers, including the National Guard, soon arrived with boats to ferry people to safety. Helicopters airlifted people from rooftops. Thousands of evacuees have been taken to shelters across the city, which are now filled to capacity.

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Here in Houston, the storm is over, but search and rescue efforts are still underway. Homes will need to be rebuilt and debris cleared. Houston is now working to restore crucial facilities—such as fire and police stations, roads, hospitals, and schools—that were damaged by the storm. The city is also trying to bring services like electricity, waste removal, and public transport back online.

The federal government has declared the region a national disaster area, promising funds and other resources to help those in need. But it will likely take years and billions of dollars for the city to recover. Witnessing the widespread damage to my community has been heartbreaking. But I’m also proud of the way locals have banded together to help one another and the city pull through.

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