Talking About Harvey

I haven’t really spoken about Harvey. As some of you know I am from Texas, (United States) and while Texas is a large state - roughly the size of France actually, it's all connected.  Many nice people have asked if I was affected by this massive storm and if it hit close to my home or family. The short answer is yes. It hit close and the rains following the hurricane devastated “my part of Texas”. 

What Happened:
More than six million Americans endured more than 30 inches of rain as Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast. The storm set historic records for rainfall in the United States, dumping 33 trillion gallons of water as it made landfall. According to the Red Cross, rain flooded an area in Texas roughly the size of Michigan, and nearly 52 inches of rain fell in Mont Belvieu (a suburb east of Houston), making it the highest total rainfall of any storm in the country’s history.

Harvey displaced 1 million people—early estimates suggest nearly 43,000 headed to shelters, while NPR reported 7,500 people evacuated to Texas State Parks. A Reuters assessment believes 30,000 homes were flooded, resulting in approximately $23 billion in property damage, though experts agree the full environmental impact is still unknown. That’s not a typo that's a BILLION with a B and  although the storm is over, the recovery has just begun. 

I grew up spending summers on the gulf coast. My friends and family still live in the area. It was difficult to watch all of this and almost impossible to not to rush right in afterwards. I’m actually going to Texas in a few weeks to help as much as I can. I promise to blog/video the entire trip. 

What I’m Doing To Help:
I’m going to be dropping off a donation and lending a hand where it’s needed. If you want to help too I have added a 10 page Hurricane Preparedness Guide to this site. This report includes a 5 page Emergency Supplies Checklist. The whole report and the checklist are only $2.99 with the proceeds, after paypal fees, going towards Harvey relief. No matter where you live disasters happen and it pays to be prepared - so buy the report to learn how to protect your family and know that the money is going to a good cause. 

See you at the airport~