One Nation
America comes together to help in wake of Texas storm
It’s been a bad few days for the Houston and Galveston areas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. And it might get worse before it gets better.
The flooding that has left thousands temporarily homeless and in shelters is expected to peak today or Wednesday, likely causing even more folks to flee their homes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects a total of 30,000 people to need shelter and another 450,000 to require some other form of disaster assistance.
Many parts of the Houston area and the Texas coast are under water and without power. About 25 inches of rain has fallen in Houston over the past couple of days. And though Harvey is now a weakening tropical storm, more is coming—maybe as much as another 25 inches.
“Texas has never seen an event like this,” said FEMA Administrator Brock Long.
President Donald Trump will visit the area today. The state and federal governments are doing what they can and more assistance will be forthcoming.
The American people are helping too, including those right here in the Twin Cities. They are giving their time and money to aid those suffering from the effects of the storm.
Local chapters of the Salvation Army and American Red Cross are ready as always. The Defense Logistics Agency at Red River Army Depot is playing a major role in providing hurricane relief to victims in the aftermath
Nurses from CHRISTUS St. Michael and emergency personnel with the Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department have been mobilized to help. Church groups are collecting donations and supplies, and there are fundraisers for the relief effort. Individuals are giving as best they can.
It’s at bad times that we are at our best. With all the division and acrimony in our country, we come together to help one another in times of need. We put aside politics. We don’t worry about race or religion or national origin or sexual identity. We just help those we can. We make an effort.
And that’s a wonderful thing about our country and our people. Deep down we are all in this together. It really shouldn’t take a tragedy for us to remember that simple fact every day of the year. It just takes the will.