Hurricane threat doesn’t slow down nature lovers
Even as city leaders warn about dangerous floods, Houstonians are not letting Harvey break their spirit.
At Buffalo Bayou Park, where the bayous crept toward overflowing, some residents gathered to enjoy nature, exercise and even dance.
Lillie, as she likes to be called by her first name, went dancing at the park around midday as soon as she realized the area was not flooded.
“I came just to enjoy the nature,” she said. “Work weeks are so stressful at times that it’s good to get out to nature and enjoy the rain, and enjoy the purity of the water, and just dance, just release.”
Lillie said she felt “refreshed, relaxed and tired” after her 30-minute dancing workout at Eleanor Tinsley Park.
Jason Hurns went to the park around the same time for a workout in the rain. “This is the best time to work out,” he said. “Everybody is home, and I am here with the park just for myself.”
Hurns is a basketball player who played for the University of Houston’s Cougars in 2008-2009 and currently runs a nonprofit dedicated to youth basketball skill development and mentoring.
“The rain is great because it keeps my body cool. It’s refreshing,” he said.
Some joggers and bikers ventured out to follow their usual trails, but some areas were overflowed by the bayou waters, becoming inaccessible.
Joggers Loren Grant and Richard Ocean stopped in their tracks with their dog Maverick to look at the top of a bridge in the Buffalo Bayou Walk that was almost completely under water.
“It’s an interesting thing to see,” Grant said. “We usually ride our bikes around here but ... it’s all under water,” she said.
Authorities are warning Houstonians about more rain coming to the city with possible worsening flash flood conditions.