Houston Flooding is Heartbreaking
@DeborahDiane (40055)
Laguna Woods, California
August 27, 2017 2:59pm CST
As I watch CNN and other channels today, I realize how heartbreaking the floods are in Houston. Many of these people live in communities which have never flooded before, which means most residents do not have flood insurance. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost nearly everything they have.
Homes will be uninhabitable for months, if not longer. Some areas may become like like the 9th Ward in New Orleans, which never fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina.
This must be heartbreaking for the residents of South Texas.
Eventually, many coastal cities may have to seriously think about the impact of global warming, which brings with it stronger hurricanes and higher seas. Which parts of our coastal cities will be rebuilt? Which parts will be abandoned? Where will lots be deemed uninhabitable in the future?
Today, however, all we can do is pray for these people and help where we can.
My own brother rents a house in Austin. Part of the flat roof caved in because of the heavy rains there. He will now miss my mother's Labor Day memorial service because he needs to move this week and salvage what he can. His plans are now up in the air. He may have to visit my father and sister at another time.
I hope everyone who is able reaches out to those who are suffering from Hurrican Harvey. It is during times like these that my own problems seem tiny in comparison to what other people are experiencing.
Keep praying that the loss of life is minimized. Right now, that is the most important thing.
18 people like this
17 responses
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Aug 17
@Kandae11 - I'm glad you will be safe if a storm hits your area. This storm is terrible. I hope there are no more deaths, too. They expect things to get worse before they get better. This has to be so scary for many people.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Aug 17
@RubyHawk - I have the same questions, Ruby. I have seen so many small businesses which have been destroyed ... restaurants, hair salons, shops. What will happen when the waitresses, hair stylists, shop clerks and others lose both their homes and their jobs? They are going to need so much help.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 17
@RubyHawk - You are right that it will take years for these people to recover. Some of them never will. Financially, this will be devastating for them.
2 people like this
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
30 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane It will be devastating. Where will they finid jobs and homes to live in. they have nothing, no clothing and what about those that are on medications and have none. It's too horrible.
1 person likes this
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
29 Aug 17
I am with you all the way on this. My brother and his family lives in Harlin. it is on the east side of Texas but they are getting hit pretty hard there. I have not had contact with them for about 3 hours now. i know that it was raining ther again and the water was rising. I wish they would just get out of there before it is too late. My prayers are with everyone in Texas and all the others that are coming in to help.
2 people like this
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
30 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane Thank you so much. This one is sure a whopper! I just wish it would leave. These people have been through enough.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@velvet53 - I will pray for your brother and his family. It is very scary for the people in Texas right now, and Hurricane Harvey is about to hit East Texas again, as well as Louisiana. It is so terrible.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
1 Sep 17
@velvet53 - I agree that these people have been through enough. I feel so sorry for them!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 17
@LadyDuck - They are calling this an 800 year flood, which really means that this is the worse we know of ever to hit North America. That is pretty shocking. Many of these people do not have flood insurance. They will lose everything. They will get a small grant from the government and some interest free loans, but that will not help much.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458121)
• Switzerland
29 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane Many think that the money spent in insurance is wasted money, until you have a major problem. We had a storage room flooded 4 years ago, what we got from the insurance fully covered all the money we have spend during 15 years.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@LadyDuck - Sadly, they say that only 15% of the people in Houston had flood insurance because they did not think they would ever be flooded. They are going to have to pay for the repairs and replace things out of their own pockets. That will be very hard for many of those people.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Aug 17
@sallypup - Thanks for the concern about my brother. It is so devastating. I don't know how some of these people will ever recover, especially the elderly. Did you see the photo of the nursing home with people up to their waists in water? It is horrible.
2 people like this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
28 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane I did see that photo. The cat was up on the back of a recliner. Totally shocking and heartbreaking.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 17
@sallypup - I agree that it was totally shocking and heartbreaking. Those poor people!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 17
@Lucky15 - Yes, those old people in chest high water was heart-breaking. If it had risen much more, they would have drowned. It is hard to watch what is happening there, and it is supposed to get worse tonight.
3 people like this
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
28 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane watching cnn breaks my heart. Seeing old people being trap on that chest high water
3 people like this
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
29 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane and Harvey is making another landfall again :(
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (37726)
• Philippines
29 Aug 17
I'm worried every time I hear of strong typhoons or hurricanes in any parts of the world. I know how devastating and dangerous they are. Poor countries, rich countries can be affected. The aftermath is staggering. I pray for the affected to stay strong and to hold on
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@averygirl72 - I agree that hurricanes affect both poor and rich countries. I know the Philippines have had some pretty awful ones, too.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@jstory07 - I agree. I hope Congress is realistic about the needs of those people when they do their upcoming budget. This is not a time to cut back on help for people.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@Tampa_girl7 - I agree that it is heartbreaking. I feel so sorry for the people who lost everything. The vast majority did not have flood insurance. They are going to be wiped out.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Aug 17
I am glad that there have been few deaths so far, but the stress and economic costs for those poor people will be immeasurable. Hundreds of animals too have been lost or abandoned and that is another crisis.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane Staggering is the only word that fits.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
1 Sep 17
@JamesHxstatic - Every time I see more stories about the hurricane on the news, I feel more overwhelmed by how many people have been harmed. Homes, cars and personal belongings lost; jobs lost; businesses lost. For some people, they may never recover.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
1 Sep 17
@JamesHxstatic - There have been people interviewed on TV who also lost everything they owned in Katrina. Other people who are in their 70s and 80s whose homes were completely destroyed. Renters who lost all their possessions and their apartments are now uninhabitable. While the news focused on rescuing those people from the floods, I think reality is starting to set in for many of these people. They are overwhelmed and may never completely recover. Some of them must feel pretty depressed and discouraged now. I lived in Texas for 25 years. While they put on a good front, saying "We're Texans and we can handle anything," in reality they are just as prone to depression and discouragement as people anywhere else. They get overwhelmed, too. I feel bad for them.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
28 Aug 17
I'm sorry to hear what happened to your brother @DeborahDiane . The mayor of Houston needs to be fired by not telling the people to evacuate. I'm only 151 miles north of Houston and we've had a lot of rain that will probably continue until Saturday.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
29 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane Yeah, you wouldn't catch me living on 'any' coast line.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@nanette64 - I think a lot of people who live on the coasts are going to have difficult years ahead, especially those who live at sea level near the water.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 17
@nanette64 - We lived in Dallas for 25 years and owned a piece of property in Galveston, in LaFeete's Cove next to the Galveston Country Club, for much of that time. We originally thought we would retire there. When I see all the destruction along the coast and in Houston, it breaks my heart. I agree that Houston should have been evacuated. At the very least, the people should have gotten a better warning so people could move into high rise hotels, etc.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306237)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Aug 17
I knew it was getting rain in Austin, but not that bad. My granddaughter and her children live there. I pray they are safe. Yes, the flooding is heartbreaking. The pictures are horrendous with the amount of destruction the hurricane has caused.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
30 Aug 17
@just4him - My brother lived in a very old, flat-roofed house. He was eventually planning to move, but this incident has forced him to move much sooner than he planned. I think most homes in Austin were fine.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306237)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
30 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane I'm sorry he was forced to move because of Harvey. I'm glad most of Austin is okay. I haven't heard from my granddaughter, but she isn't vocal like she used to be on FB.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306237)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 Sep 17
@DeborahDiane I hope it will be good news. I talked to my daughter and she said my granddaughter and the girls are fine and my oldest great granddaughter will be starting Pre K next week.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Sep 17
@JudyEv - I agree. Maybe this is what it will take to convince some Americans that climate change is real. It is sad that it takes so much.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
10 Sep 17
@JudyEv - Half of Houston is destroyed and now we have Florida about to be hit by another hurricane. It is crazy!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325793)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Sep 17
@DeborahDiane It seems the worst may not be over yet either.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (94552)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
27 Aug 17
I know what you mean since it is around the same time that Hurricane Katrina struck Southeast Louisiana in 2005 and flooded the City Of New Orleans.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
28 Aug 17
@Deepizzaguy - New Orleans could get flooded again, later this week. This is a devastating storm. I can't imagine what people are going through. It is very sad.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Aug 17
@Deepizzaguy - You are so right that this is not a fun event. In fact, I'm sure a lot of people are feeling overwhelmed, and I don't blame them.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (94552)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
28 Aug 17
@DeborahDiane I know what you mean. Flooding is not a fun event to go through.
1 person likes this
@divalounger (5849)
• United States
7 Sep 17
This feels so much like Katrina did --I was looking at a flood map of Houston the other day--living in a coastal community will take on new risks in the future--I live in a coastal town and my land will be under water in 100 years--
1 person likes this
@divalounger (5849)
• United States
8 Sep 17
@DeborahDiane It is a problem--but one that many will face I think
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Sep 17
@divalounger - Now, with more hurricanes coming, there will be many people who are going to be suffering.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Sep 17
@divalounger - I'm sorry to hear that you own land which will flood in the future. Some people in coastal areas are already having trouble selling their homes.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
10 Sep 17
Parts of Houston will take months, or longer, to recover, but all the attention is on the hurricane hitting Florida, now. It is crazy!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40055)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Sep 17
@WriterAI - I am on a trip and commenting on my phone, but I will look for your post when I get home tomorrow!
@WriterAI (5373)
• Bulgaria
10 Sep 17
@DeborahDiane I have just posted a discussion about it titled "The Hurricane Irma on Media". You could visit it and read it.
1 person likes this
