Harvey Special Edition

ORACLE Wednesday, October 4, 2017 // Vol 44 // Harvey Special Edition

The Road to Recovery

@SpartanOracle @StratfordOracle

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Preface

The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Dear Stratford Community, Hurricane Harvey hurt us all. We, in particular, underestimated Harvey’s power, and were utterly shocked to wake up the first morning after the storm to find our streets more closely resembling a river than a plot of pavement. Although the hurricane badly damaged Houston in its entirety, West Houston felt the heavy effects of not only the rain, but also the rising bayou and reservoir release. Many in the Stratford community became displaced from their homes and were left with months of reconstruction. Many lost everything.

As much as we were saddened by the storm, we were equally encouraged by not only the unity within our city, but especially within the Stratford community. Teachers and students were kayaking through the neighborhoods to help others, organizing donation drives, and helping their friends muck out their houses. Not only was the Stratford Community actively helping each other, they were eagerly helping each other.

The mission of the Oracle is “By the students, For the Students, and About the Students.” Since Hurricane Harvey affected all students in some way,

we thought it was only fitting to let them make this newspaper. This issue is by students who have experienced Harvey, for students to keep for a lifetime, and about students and their unique stories.

This issue is special, because not only is it Harvey-specific, but it’s also different from anything we have done before. This issue, in its literal state, is a historical document, marking the events that broke national records for rainfall. Instead of our normal sections, like Opinions and News, we have decided to categorize this paper into three sections: Harvey Hits, Spartans Spill, and Collaborating Community. Harvey Hits covers everything that happened during and directly after the storm. Spartans Spill features students and their unique stories and pictures. Collaborating Community focuses on the aftermath of the storm, specifically how Spartans came together to rebuild and restore the community.

Harvey isn’t over after you read this newspaper issue. Harvey isn’t over once your house finally gets fixed.

Harvey isn’t over when all the traffic lights stop blinking. Harvey’s ef-

The Road To Recovery

fects will be felt for a lifetime, and in all honestly, Houston will never be the same. In the midst of the muchneeded normalcy, which has finally started to settle in, we hope that this Oracle edition serves as a reminder of the once-in-a-lifetime event that every single student, teacher, staff member, and parent experienced, and we hope that you will hold on to it and share it with your family and friends for years to come.

VARSITY FOOTBALL BYE WEEK Fall Finals:

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News Editors

Emma Holland and Lauren Byram Co-Editors-in-Chief

Fall Semester Days:

22

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VARSITY FOOTBALL VS. KINGWOOD Fall Finals:

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The Stratford Playhouse Presents: The Rimers of Eldritch

Editors-in-Chief *Emma Holland *Lauren Byram

*Zaina Ateyea *Presley Graves *Perry Shepard Opinions Editors Bayle Goldman Rachel Dietert

After

Friday

ORACLE

Photo Editors

GRAPHICS BY: ALEXIA VAN DER DYS

Fall Semester Days:

PHOTO BY: JORDAN KOUNS

Associate Editors *Elizabeth Cole *Charlotte Benes

Sincerely,

Stratford Before and After the Storm

before

Brian Kouns walks along Boheme Drive, surveying neighbor’s debris piled high in front of their abandoned homes.

Harvey

Rachel Cole Alex Parizot Yasmin Talbi

Feature Editors Abby Gex Maddie Suerth Sebastian Droz

Sports Editors Mariana Rincon Niki Whiteford

The Oracle newspaper is the official, schoolsponsored student media of Stratford High School, 14555 Fern, Houston, Texas 77079, 713-251-3454.

The Oracle is published monthly by the Journalism Department and is also available online at shsoracle. com. The newspaper is a member of Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and Interscholastic League Press Conference.

The Oracle serves as

Reporters

Ads Editors

Daniela Trujillo Alexis Garza Libby Grizzell Hannah Khartri Chloe Sady Joy Meyers Hannah Timmreck Isabella Waltz Ben Burnham Blake Todes Tatyanna Lett

Lindell Lewis Lauren Perry

Photographers

Staff Artists

Dan Tatulescu Grayson Hart Maddie Dawson Nicklas Rizzo Finley Capshaw Meghan Martinez Makowski Kiera Howard Ashley Cahalan Miles Harper Brayden Yim Sarah Stokes Meggie Nop

a public forum of student expression and is open to contributions submitted by the readers. Readers may submit material via e-mail to info@shsoracle.org.

All letters to the editors must be typed and contain the author’s full name, grade and signature. Submitted material is subject to editing based on space and/or content. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, the staff, the adminis-

Ads Staff Gigi Meredith Haley Grace Francis Kaitlyn White Erin Walsh Samantha Wagner

Design Editors Jordan Kouns Caroline Bucek William Thiele Alexia van der Dys

Copy Editor Carolyn Koerner

Building Principal Chad Crowson

Advisor Janice Cummons *Editorial Board Members

tration or the school district.

The staff is responsible for the content of the publication and strives to maintain professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and fairness. The editors reserve the right to determine whether submissions will be published.

The Oracle staff strives to produce a newspaper that covers the entire Stratford community and welcomes freelance submissions.

Publication costs are covered through advertisements.

For more information, contact thestratfordoracle@gmail.com OR call at 713-251-3454

Harvey Hits The Oracle / October 4, 2017

The Hurricane That Took Houston By Storm Reviewing the timeline of events leading up to and following Hurricane Harvey WRITTEN BY: ELIZABETH COLE

GRAPHIC BY: CAROLINE BUCEK

On Aug. 17, meteorologists noticed a storm brewing in the ocean just above South America’s top. At the time, it was labeled as a tropical cyclone, which they named Harvey. Little did they know what destruction and loss it would bring in the coming weeks.

Harvey fluctuated in wind speed and power over the next 48 hours, until on Aug. 19, meteorologists observed a ridge of dry air sweeping across Harvey’s path.

This dry air weakened the storm, with wind speeds below 40 mph. Harvey was downgraded to a tropical depression. However, Harvey continued on its slow-moving path, on course to hit North Mexico and Texas.

As such, weather stations gave little to no attention to the storm brewing in the Caribbean. It was only after the soonto-be category 5 hurricane passed over the Yucatan Peninsula on Aug. 23, and officially entered the Gulf of Mexico, that Harvey became a threat.

Due to the unusually high temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, the storm rapidly gained force. With the added factor of low wind shearing, meaning low opposing wind velocity against the storm, the circumstances just off the coast of Texas made it a perfect recipe for a destructive hurricane.

On Aug. 24, Harvey was officially a category 2 hurricane. Many school districts,

including SBISD, canceled school for the next day, Friday.

That very next day, within a span of hours, the hurricane was upgraded from a cat 2 storm, all the way up to a cat 4.

Later in the very same day, Harvey makes its first landfall near Port Aransas. Many news stations still warn against evacuating Houston, but warn people to be ready for the worst case scenario.

After making landfall, Harvey began slowly working its way up the coast. The storm was slowing down, to a point that it was barely crawling by.

Saturday, Houston saw heavy rains and some bayous rising, but nothing to cause immediate alarm. The Mayweather versus McGregor fight was that night, and many were up late. Some got stranded at friend’s houses, due to street flooding late at night.

This was the first indication that things were going wrong.

That Sunday, Aug. 27, very early in the morning, the first wave of houses flooded.

Taken off guard by the sudden rise in wa-

Glued to the TV

ter, many of the first affected houses had little time to prepare and attempt to save their stuff from the murky waters.

Communities came together for the families flooded, but the water was treated as more of a spectacle than anything.

However, as Harris County Flood Control Meteorologist Jeff Linder held his press conferences that day, it was revealed that there would need to be dam releases from the Addicks Reservoir to ensure it did not break. The releases, scheduled for 2 a.m. for the following day were approximations, as the gauges broke.

Families in the likely affected area began to evacuate. People began making preparations in their houses, and leaving for Dallas and Austin. More and more houses flooded over the span of the week.

Water levels tended to go up and down in houses.

School was canceled three times over the course of the following week. However, the desire for “normalcy” promoted school to return sooner rather than later.

As Houston flooded, Houstonians turned to local news channels to get their source of information. From road closures, dam releases, to storm watches on the stagnant storm, the TV was almost always on. Press conferences, led by Harris County flood meteorologists Jeff Linder updated on facts on the flooding. As it became evident how bad it was, larger news stations like CNN started covering the damage in flooded neighborhoods zoned to the school.

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Storm Lingo Hurricanes, as opposed to typhoons or cyclones, are violent tropical storms that brew over the Atlantic Ocean, typically originating off of the western tip of Africa. They tend to spin counterclockwise because they are north of the equator (as an effect of Earth’s rotation on its axis). As they travel over the Atlantic, they pick up speed or dissipate, depending on the conditions.

Scientists will label whether they are a tropical depression, tropical storms, or a hurricane depending on the strength or wind speed. Usually they hit North and South America, and the Caribbean.

Tropical Depression: A low pressure area meets thunderstorms which causes a circular wind flow with max sustained winds of 39 mph

Tropical Storm: Occurs when circulation becomes more organized and winds are 39-73 mph

Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale: Once winds reach above 74 mph, storms are upgraded to a hurricane, which is when they are named. To further categorize the strength of the storm, the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale is used.

Category 1: Wind speed 74-95 mph. Dangerous, with some damage. Likely snapped tree branches, and other small external damage.

Category 2: Wind speed 96-110 mph. Extremely dangerous winds, with external damage. Power outages very likely.

Category 3: Wind speed 111-129 mph. Devastating damage, like uprooted trees and road blockages.

Water possibly shut off.

Category 4: Wind speed 130-156 mph. Catastrophic damage to infrastructure, such as structural damage. Power and water out for a likely extended amount of time

Category 5: Wind speed 157 mph or higher. Catastrophic damage to the point where the area will be inhabitable for an extended period of time.

Harvey Hits 4 Harvey as Witnessed by Two Students The Oracle / October 4, 2017

The Worst Has Yet To Come

PHOTOS BY: PERRY SHEPARD AND MADDIE DAWSON

August 30, 2017 Sunday, our house, on Hermitage Lane flooded at to waters high in the creek in the backyard and approximately 4:45 a.m. We woke up at about 3:30 a.m. high in the front street. It was abouta foot away, give or take. The water rose incredibly fast.

The first thing I thought to do was to secure the kayak, which was behind the garage, (and already floating). Thank God! It turned out to save not only us, but also the rest of our street in terms of evacuating. we spent time moving things higher up, and evacuated.

-A Journal Entry from an SHS Senior

age Hermit on home The filled with flood waters.

Students and their families preparing homes by tokayak.evacuate their

WRITTEN BY: EMMA PAINTER “Thank you Lord” I woke to my mom as she cried out those words. We survived the night without getting flooded. At that moment I actually thought we would be fine, that we would be the lucky ones that don’t get flooded I actually thought we could survive this.

I was very wrong.

We were walking back from that I thought was going to be such a great Friday morning until we woke up to the news that one of my best friends had already gotten flooded, in only a short night she had lost everything.

Unexpected journey Freshman Absolutely everything.

Emma Painter details her experience When I walked into my house my during her journey to escape the dad was already out the door looking flood for someone else to rescue. I closed came to ask us. That’s when we decidthe back door and took a deep breath. ed to leave our home and everything All I could think about was that my in it. The streets were so flooded that house could be underwater at any we had to walk on people’s yards that time. I started packing a bag I was were basically flooded as well. Every trying to be smart while packing, but step I took was in the water and they there were so many things I wanted would come to our door, shoes were to save, but not enough space. That’s soaked. My body was shivering and I when I decided I’m going to try to was miserable. save everything. I started to put We decided to go to one of my things on my bed trying to save all of my clothes, shoes, books and pictures friends house in front of the Nottingham Forest entrance. They weren’t from the harsh waters of Harvey. flooded yet, lucky them. Then the When my dad came back from power went out. Not so lucky anyhelping another family evacuate, we more. prepared for the worst.

Our families found out that the powMy dad had sleeping bags, waterer wouldn’t be back on for a couple proof bags and so many bags packed of hours. The waiting for the power away and ready to go whenever the worst happens. We got through Friday was like waiting for it to stop raining; it was never going to happen. My dad barely surviving. “We had made it came back and told us we were going through another day,” my mom said to a hotel, when we arrived all of the as my family sat on the couch listenguests were wet, cold and absolutely ing to the news. I tried to stay awake miserable I just wanted to go home that night, but my eyelids were so but I couldn’t. After a week of misery heavy that I passed out from exhausin the Hilton Garden Inn, with just tion, still hearing all of the bad news four family members, two beds and a that the reporters were saying. dog. We finally moved into an apartAt about 2:30 the majority of our ment, it’s nice and all, but when I lie street was evacuating and our neighawake at night all I can think of is I bors were trying to convince us to will never be able to go to the same leave. It wasn’t till the very last person house again.

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Harvey Hits The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Before the Storm

How people prepared for the hurricane that took us all by surprise

Is the Red Cross lying to you about your Harvey donations?

WRITTEN AND PHOTO BY: YASMIN TALBI

WRITTEN BY: AMORA FLORES

grocery store, trying to find anything that would help them sustain through the hurricane. Yet, some people doubted the power and extent of the damage that Harvey would create and prepared less.

Regardless of how prepared you were, the storm didn’t favor anyone and remained hovering over our city mercilessly.

Some people filled their trunks to the brim with food to ride out the storm, stocking up on water, bread, canned food, and other essential items. Grocery stores all over the city had frantic employees and customers running around trying to help and find food. Big-chain stores like H-E-B and Costco had an insurmountable amount of people flooding through their doors, their impossibly large stores trying to squeeze in more people in intervals.

Soon after, H-E-B and Costco’s shelves were close to empty and thousands of people scavenged through their stores.

“We prepared by filling up our cars with Chaos before the storm People wait in line at Costco, preparing for the gas and by stocking up on food and water, but we didn’t make any changes to the hurricane’s landfall. house,” junior Isabella Meji said.

Others didn’t prepare as much. Some were left to their deHarvey came in a blur and caught us all by surprise. Its vices when the hurricane’s power became increasingly evistrength was incomparable to any hurricane we had seen in dent. “We initially didn’t prepare for the hurricane because the last decade, and thus invoked chaos. It seemed like the entire city of Houston was holding its breath for the destruc- we didn’t expect it to be that bad. But then we saw how bad it was getting and ended up waiting in a line at Kroger for tion that would come, and for good reason.

2 hours for essentials,” senior Ariana Chalajour said. Even While a line was forming around the corner of the entrance with all of the planning, some people ran low on supplies. to Costco, there were people running from grocery store to

When Harvey hit Texas, major flood damage was done -worse than people have ever seen. The news of this catastrophic event quickly spread online and many people were lining up to help in any way possible. Some posted pictures of phone numbers that victims could use for help, and some started GoFundMe(s) to gain money and send it to, seemingly generous, disaster relief organizations such as The Red Cross.

This was until social media users on popular apps such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook started posting comments on how the Red Cross was not a stable organization to send money to. That they were corrupt as they still hadn’t helped those affected in Haiti back in 2010, from a life threatening Earthquake.

The organization had received half a billion dollars sent from all over the world, in order to help those in need from the horrific disaster. But the help never came, and the money seemingly disappeared. After this mystery, more donations made to the Red Cross never came through, and suspicions rose. Former reporter Jonathan Katz states for an interview in Vox magazine that, ”the Red Cross raised tons of money but had no idea what to do with it, or how to make it work for the people who needed it.” He also went on to say that, ”they did not have a billion dollars worth of things to do.” In order to solve this problem of, ”too much money,” The Red Cross decided to distribute portions of the money to other wide scale organizations, that instead of helping the people in Haiti, they took some of the money into their own pocket leaving the people in need, still in need.

If the people of Haiti still haven’t received the proper support they required from the Red Cross, then is it really wise to think that money people have donated for specifically Hurricane Harvey victims will be distributed properly to them? Or other debts that The Red Cross still haven’t paid?

History of Hurricanes

Focusing on the storms that have hit landfall the hardest WRITTEN BY: BENJAMIN BURNHAM

PHOTO BY: MADDIE DAWSON

Hurricane Dolly hit Texas in 2008, and though Hurricane Ike would be remembered the most that year, Dolly’s storm surge and tornadoes claimed 22 lives and cost $1.05 billion.

Tropical Storm Allison was a hard hitter back in 2001. Though Dolly was more powerful, as a Category four hurricane, this tropical storm displaced tens of thousands and damaged 73,000 homes.

With a death toll of 41 and total damages reaching over $5 billion, Allison is remembered as the deadliest and most expensive tropical Storm in the history of the United States.

In the year 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the United States and devastated our neighboring states, especially Louisiana. In the same year, Texas suffered from Hurricane Rita. With 12 feet of floodwaters in some areas and winds reaching up to 177 mph, Rita resulted in 120 deaths. The total damages reached over $12 billion. Residents of Houston may remember the terrible gridlock that was caused during a citywide attempt to flee the oncoming storm.

While students may not remember many of these storms, most will remember the second most severe storm on this list, Hurricane Ike. The third-costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States, Ike left destruction across Texas,

especially in coastal areas such as Galveston. This Category four hurricane caused 195 deaths and cost $29.5 billion. The only storms to merit more cost in damages were Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Andrew, though Hurricane Harvey has been highlighted as one of the costliest Hurricanes in US history.

To rate the hurricane with the most impact is no simple task. By comparing the death toll, total damage costs, and storm strengths, a rough idea can be conjured up, but the experience that comes from such a storm is truly what makes something have such great impact. Hurricane Harvey has most recently impacted this city, and it is Harvey that takes the top spot on this list.

Making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Harvey caused many feet of flooding with its sustained and heavy rainfall, up to 44.9 inches in Houston.

Thousands of homes and cars were damaged or destroyed by Harvey. The death toll has been counted as 82. While the total cost of the damages has yet to be calculated, it is estimated that it is anywhere from $60 billion to $180 billion, certainly one of the costliest storms in the United States.

see “History of Hurricanes” continued on page 15

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Harvey the Great White Rabbit WRITTEN BY: ISABELLA WALTZ

Last Spring, the Playhouse announced their 2017-2018 season. Then after Hurricane Harvey hit, the department made a surprising decision.

A Facebook post read, “Our thoughts turned to the possibilities of an easier production; less intense preparation on our end would mean we could spend more time helping our community to rebuild and support our Playhouse families that have been affected by the hurricane. With this in mind, the new show we have chosen is, Harvey.”

“At first, we were joking about doing Harvey,” said the play’s director Christian Holmes, “but then we realized, a lighter comedy would work better than the show we had planned. We did check with the community, called around, got people who were flood victims and asked if doing the show was insensitive. We got an overwhelming reaction of nothing but positive responses.”

The play Harvey, written by Mary Chase, is about a man named Elwood P. Dowd who claims his best friend is a six-foot, one-and-one-half-inch tall rabbit named Harvey. Elwood introduces him to everyone he meets, embarrassing his sister, Veta. She decides to have her brother committed into a sanatarium, but when a mix-up happens, all the characters are on the hunt for Elwood.

“We had about fifty to sixty people audition for twelve roles,” Holmes said. “It’s difficult as an educator to turn some people away that did really well.”

The Playhouse also said that they would be doing this show to raise money for the Spring Branch Education Fund to help families who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. At each show, there will be a black bucket donation where people can leave donations.

Harvey opens Oct. 19 and closes Oct. 28. Check out shsplayhouse.org for more details.

Harvey Show Dates: Oct. 19 - 7:30 Oct. 21 - 7:30 Oct. 22 - 2:30 Oct. 26 - 7:30 Oct. 27 - 7:30 Oct. 28 - 2:30 & 7:30

Spartans Spill The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Spartans Share Their Thoughts Everyone experienced different emotions during the storm PHOTOS BY: PERRY SHEPARD AND DAN TATULESCU

“I did not know the Cajun Navy existed. That was amazing to see them all work together like that.”

-Nurse Assistant Raquel Pomeroy

“I felt really detached from the disasters going around outside, until I looked out the window and saw 3 feet of water outside.”

-Senior Elizabeth Greebon

“There are so many people throughout the United States who are incredibly generous and giving and are willing to drop everything in order to help others.”

-Yearbook Advisor Lillian Harris

“Some people can’t take disasters.”

-Senior Rosa Andrzejewski

“Natural disasters can bring out the best in human nature.” -Sophomore Natalie Lewis

“I learned to be grateful for what I have.”

-Sophomore Sydni Moon

By The Numbers:

INFORMATION COMPILED BY: TATYANNA LETT AND SARAH STOKES

Number of houses flooded: 20,000

Reservoir Levels:

Addicks: 105 feet Barker: 99 feet

Number of cars flooded: Over 10,000 in Houston costing between $2.7 - $4.9 billion

Rainfall totals by city: Houston: 43.38 inches Katy: 31.23 inches Beaumont: 47.35 inches Cedar Bayou: 51.88 inches La Porte: 36.24 inches Galveston: 22.84 inches

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Spartans Spill The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Fire and Water Hits One Neighborhood The fight is over As the bands of rain from Har-

vey lessened, a new problem arose for the residents of St. George Lane,-a house on fire. The fire department was able to get there quickly enough to save the house from burning down.

A victim looks on The victim’s boyfriend walks

on as the firefighters get ready to tackle the fire inside, smoke rising out of the house. It seems all is lost for the quaint house on St. George Lane.

Ground breaking Immense pressure from floodwaters cause the road at Beltway 8 and Boheme to cave in.

PHOTO BY: DAN TATULESCU

PHOTO BY: DAN TATULESCU

PHOTO BY: CLAY HOLLAND

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Spartans Spill The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Harvey Day By Day

A timeline of Harvey’s destructive path WRITTEN BY: MADDIE SUERTH

PHOTOS BY MACKENZEE BALZER AND MADDIE SUERTH

It started raining on and off, no signs of the damage it would cause. The calm before the storm.

Friday Aug. 25

In the late evening it began pouring and streets started filling up. The very first people began to flood as it rained all night.

Saturday Aug. 26

Sunday Aug. 27

All throughout the day it was fine, only drizzling a little.

After the Fact

Confessions about the horrifying damage left behind My Harvey story is one I will remember forever.

My house has flooded before so I was not as scared or worried, I knew the drill. When the water started coming because of the rain we had four to eight inches. Then they started releasing water and we were done. We ended up getting four to five feet of water in our house, which we couldn’t get to for about a week because of how bad the flooding was. When I finally got back into my house it was so disgusting. Bugs were all over the place and things and things scattered. Now it is time to start putting our lives together piece by piece.

The reservoir started being released and even more people began to flood and evacuate.

Monday Aug. 28

It rained all day with very few breaks, the bayou started overflowing.

Water was sitting in people’s homes and wouldn’t recede for many days.

People began to aid others that were displaced.

Tuesday Aug. 29

My whole life has been changed by Harvey. I woke up Sunday morning and

my family realized that my house was going to flood. We had to pack our bags and get out of our house as quickly as possible. Never did I think I would watch my dog swim through our living room. When we evacuated our house, we had two feet of water in it. We had no idea what we would be coming home to in the future. All I had was my family and the clothes on my back. Our house ended up having a little over five feet in it. My parents, my dogs, and I stayed in a hotel for two weeks. I only made it through that time because of my amazing friends taking care of my family and me, bringing us clothes whenever it was safe for them to get to us. Now we live in an apartment. Even though my family has lost a lot, we have learned what is truly important. By staying positive you can get through anything. We know this experience will make us stronger people.

-Junior Mackenzee Balzer

People in my neighborhood helped my family and me evacuate, carrying our luggage on their backs and in kayaks. After evacuating to a friend’s home,

I didn’t get much water to be honest, I had almost

made it through dry. If they had stopped releasing water just one day sooner, my house would have been spared. I think the worst part about this whole situation is the fact that I was so helpless. All I

could do was sit there and watch the water as it rose, just waiting and praying that it wouldn’t get in the house; for my mom’s sake.

-Sophomore Alexia van der Dys

I got two feet of water after the reservoir started to

be released and we evacuated through three feet of water in the street. By the time I got back into my house everything on the first floor was covered in mold after sitting for two weeks in all the water.

My family and I still want to help out others even though we lost everything. Everyone is so kind and we are all very appreciative of everything we have received.

-Sophomore Joy Meyers

About three days after the hurricane struck Hous-

ton, my family and I were forced to evacuate to Austin. We had lost power and faced the threat of tornadoes tearing through our neighborhood. We had trouble finding an available route to Austin, but we knew we had family there and a safe place to stay if we managed to escape. The drive was unsettling.

We passed by several torn up buildings that were completely vacant, and the roads were void of any other cars for the first two hours. It felt apocalyptic.

Eventually, we made it to my grandparents’ house, where we stayed until it was safe to go back.

-Freshman Grace Byers

my brother and I canoed through the flooded streets looking to make a difference. We helped

-Senior William Thiele

Aug. 30

Rain stops and water continues to be released, many people who thought they were safe start to flood.

-Sophomore Sara Duvall

an elderly Vietnamese couple who barely spoke any English get to their car because the man needed his medication. I also got very sick after exposure to the flood water, eventually leading to bronchitis (this only lasted for a day though).

Wednesday

Hurricane Harvey affected me the most a week

after it hit, because of the flooded streets and neighborhoods around us as our power was cut off for two days. Just the day before that happened helicopters

had brought in evacuees to the church that was on our street. It served as a shelter for the evacu-

Boats in the Streets

Neighbors helping each other get to their homes by boat while the water is high.

An Empty House

Balzer’s house after the water had gone down and all her things taken out.

ees and also lost power for two days. Helicopters were everywhere, they landed on parking lots and flew at the same height as trees. At night everything was dark, light only came from cars, flashlights, candles, and a couple helicopters that flew by every once in awhile. Since there was also no A/C we slept with the windows open to let some breeze in. The helicopters sounded even louder in the silence of night, so much so that it sounded as if they were on the streets. The next day we went to a hotel that was near my mom’s work. When we came back our neighborhood had power again although the water was still rising and people were still being saved by boat.

-Freshman Sofia Villarroel

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Spartans Spill The Oracle / October 4, 2017

The Silver Linings

The Graham Family Escapes the Flood WRITTEN AND PHOTO BY: YASMIN TALBI

day the rain was pouring down so hard that it was hard to see past it. The Graham family was beginning to feel uneasy about the rain, so they started to move whatever they could to the second floor.

“By midnight, water was at our doorstep. I went to sleep, not expecting it get any higher. At 2 a.m. I was woken up,” Graham said. Water was creeping into the house, flowing in at a rate of inches an hour. Graham and her family were forced to spend five hours in the dead of night moving all of their belongings to the second floor of their house, trying to salvage whatever they could.

The family originally intended to wait out the flood water in their second story, but after a friend advised them to evacuate, the family realized the water wouldn’t subside anytime soon.

They waded through waist-high water, carrying their four tortoises and their dog. They decided to leave their three cats in the house with enough food and water for the next day.

When they returned the next day by boat, they only found two of their three cats. They left the two cats with a family while they found their third cat, trembling and hungry. Due to exposure to flood water and a pre-existing illness, the cat passed away two weeks later.

A quick evacuation The Graham family passes down With the release of the dams, the water their belongings in a boat to evacuate. reached a staggering level of six feet in the family’s home. For the time being, Junior Lauren Graham was walking home from a colleague of the family took them in, all seven school when she saw her mom pull into the drivepeople and seven pets, with open arms. “Everyway, the trunk of the car filled with food and other one we’ve stayed with has been so welcoming,” supplies to ride through the oncoming storm. “I Graham said, “and I’m blessed to have so many thought she was overreacting.” Graham said. people willing to help my family as we recover The rain crept its way on Saturday, and by midfrom this.”

Rescuing Harvey the Cat WRITTEN AND PHOTO BY: ALEXIS GARZA

Rescued from the storm

Two week old Harvey is fed by his saviors, the Hartwig family. Many pets were displaced because of the storm and some are still held in shelters, one month later.

Junior, KK Hartwig rescued a twoweek old kitten from the wrath of Harvey. The day before the storm hit she was at Memorial City Mall when she spotted the kitten, later named Harvey, in the parking lot. She picked him up and brought the kitten home.

At only two weeks old, Harvey could not walk, eat, or use the bathroom on his own. He was bottle fed every two hours and carried everywhere until he could eat on his own. He is now living comfortably in a foster home in Col-

lege Station.

Some animals weren’t as lucky as little Harvey. Many shelters did not permit evacuees to bring their pets with them, so animals were left abandoned. Initially, the mega-shelter at George R. Brown did not allow animals, but after many complaints they opened a separate area for people with pets. Shelters at Gallery Furniture allowed people to keep their pets as long as they were caged in their own area.

A Car’s Lucky Chance WRITTEN AND PHOTO BY: ALEX PARIZOT The first Saturday of the storm, I was at a friend’s house with some people, then at around eight o’clock, we all started to realize just how hard it was raining, and how long and hard it had been raining.

Everyone decided to head out so we’d be able to get our cars home safely. On my drive home, I tried to cross Kirkwood, but I realized that section of Memorial was already completely inundated. I was forced to detour down Kirkwood towards Briar Forest.

While driving down Briar Forest, I realized that if I kept driving,

my car would flood, so I decided to turn into a random driveway and just let the water flow away and continue my drive home. After a few minutes, the rain wasn’t letting up, so I called my parents and let them know what was going on, as they were also at a party. My dad and a family friend got in a jeep and drove through the water to pick me up. When they arrived, I spoke to the owner of the house who’s driveway I was using to refuge my car, and he said it was OK for me to leave the car in his driveway, so my car stayed there for the duration of

Harvey.

As the storm progressed, I was annoyed that I was stranded at my house because I had driven down a flooded street and abandoned my car, but after a few days, the water had reached my house and had inundated my driveway.

My parents’ cars survived because we raised them up on ramps, but if my car had been home, there wouldn’t have been anything to save it. Since I had gotten so lucky, I named the car Chance, because it’d survived by chance.

Waiting on the storm Chance the Car (blue), waits for the water to subside so he can be driven once again.

10

Spartans Spill The Oracle / October 4, 2017

The During and the After Looking back on the chaotic days that followed the 1000 year flood WRITTEN BY: CHARLOTTE BENES AND ISABELLA WALTZ

PHOTO BY: MADDIE DAWSON

PHOTO BY: CARRIE REXRODE PAWLIK

PHOTO BY: MADISYN SANGI

PHOTO BY: ASHLEY CALAHAN

Houses flooded when the dams were released. This caused massive traffic jams as roads were closed due to high water. What used to take 20 minutes now became an 80 minute drive. After the water receded, piles of debris lined the streets. Of area neighborhoods, Stratford became a collection spot for donations as groups of students volunteered to “muck out” the affected houses. It wasn’t until Sept. 25, almost an entire month after Harvey made landfall that Highway 6 north was opened up. It was the last of the flooded roadways.

PHOTO BY: EMMA HOLLAND

PHOTO BY: GRANT SHYER

PHOTO BY: MELANIE VAN DOMSELAAR

PHOTO BY: MADDIE DAWSON

FRESHMAN KORI JANE SPAULDING

SOPHOMORE JANET HAGEDORN

“I woke up to my friend Lauren telling me to get up and grab a change of clothes. My mom and dad came upstairs soaking wet. I ran downstairs only to be stopped at the 5th step because water was flooded from then on. We had our family friends staying with us: Five people, plus my cat, my family of 6, and my 83- year- old grandpa who has Alzheimer’s and is not very stable on his feet. I put everything important on my top shelf and grabbed a change of clothes. Outside, a boat, some inflatable rafts, and a small, plastic kayak greeted us. I later found out that our house had almost flooded 7 feet. After 10 days of my dad going back on a boat and looking for my cat, who we had left behind, we finally found her hiding on the top shelf of the shed. After 12 days we found a rental house. The flood was crazy, but it really shows how lucky we are to have such an amazing community.”

“My house flooded 4-5 feet from Hurricane Harvey. I had to evacuate 3 times, because my grandmother lost power and started to flood. Then I had to evacuate to my Aunt’s house, but then the power went out there. There were 11 people and 6 animals in one house. On that Tuesday night, my family evacuated to Liberty Hill, TX, Northwest of Austin. We stayed there for 10 days, and then returned when the water had mostly receded from my house.”

What Happened:

What I Learned:

“The most important thing I learned is that there are lots of things that we think we need, but very few things that we actually need.”

What Happened:

What I Learned:

“I learned about true value, and that it’s not the tangible things that are important in life.”

“I learned

that it’s not the tangible things that are important in life.

”

11

Spartans Spill The Oracle / October 4, 2017

True Confessions of a Three Time Flood Victim: WRITTEN BY: CHARLOTTE BENES

T

PHOTO BY: MADDIE DAWSON

PHOTO BY: SARAH STOKES

While the roads were closed with flood waters Harris County Toll Road Association dropped the fees on area toll roads. The Cajun Navy arrived to rescue residents and deliver PHOTO BY: MADDIE DAWSON them to higher ground.

PHOTO BY: MELANIE VAN DOMSELAAR

PHOTO BY: MADDIE DAWSON

PHOTO BY: JULIA LANGLOIS

JUNIOR RACHEL DIETERT

What Happened:

“The Thursday before the storm, Mrs. O’Connor asked our class what the name was of the hurricane that was barreling towards the Gulf Coast. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t even know. Looking back, it is ironic that the very same storm ended up dumping three feet of water into my house. I was woken up at 6:45 in the morning on Saturday to the sounds of my neighbors screaming across the street. I rushed to the door to see what all the commotion was. It wasn’t what was there that was shocking.

What was shocking was what was absent: my street.”

What I Learned:

“The name of the storm that dumped three feet of water in my house is Harvey, and I will never forget that.”

he first time my house flooded I was eight years old. I recall awakening in the middle of the night to the sounds of my parents’ panicked voices outside my door. We took on eight inches of water and it was a while before our lives returned to normal.

The second time we flooded was during last year’s tax day flood. I was in the beginning stages of a sinus infection, so imagine my surprise when I stepped into three inches of water on my way downstairs for some aspirin in the middle of the night. With the help of family and friends and our prior experience with flooding, our renovations were quick and efficient, and life returned to normal within six weeks of the actual flood.

The third time we flooded, however, was anything but business as usual.

For the first time, we were prepared for the rising waters. For the first time, my grandfather’s homemade floodgate apparatus sheltered us from the worst of the flooding. For the first time, we were not the only victims of flooding in our area.

I was shocked by the devastation I was seeing all around me in the days that followed the storm. People having to flee their homes due to five+ feet of

water damage, being rescued via watercraft and helicopters, and losing everything to the waters of Harvey really put the three or so inches of water we took on into perspective.

Now this isn’t to say that the low volume of our flooding was insubstantial.

My mother’s favorite thing to say that she’s learned from our three floods is that as far as renovations go, at the end of the day, three inches of water would require the same amount of work as 18 inches. The only real difference is the potential for damage to belongings, and again, we were more than prepared on that front. Even now most of our furniture is still residing with wooden legs in Solo cups because we were too lazy to take them off when all was said and done.

The torrential rains of Harvey have affected all of us in many ways, some substantial and others more subtle. Regardless of whether you were high and dry, inches from taking on water, or on the receiving end of the worst of what Harvey had to offer, I like to think that we all will come out the other side better for the trials we have experienced in the wake of this horrific natural disaster.

SENIOR ALEX PARIZOT

What Happened:

“Prior to this storm, I had never seen the water even reach the middle of my street. Throughout the storm, the water would creep up and down our front yard. One night it was touching the front door when I went to bed.

When I woke up I was sure that there would be water in the house, to my surprise it wasn’t. The day went on with either no rain, or very light drizzling. We were sure that we were in the clear, but the water kept rising. The dam releases flooded my house. The rain had stopped, the sun was out, and the water was coming into my house. We evacuated right as the water started to pool inside. The water only reached about two feet at it’s highest, but we won’t be back in the house for at least six months.”

What I Learned:

“Just because something hasn’t happened before, that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen now.”

“The rain

had stopped, the sun was out, and the water was coming into my house.

”

12

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Collaborating Community

The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Neighbors Unite

Quotes From Those Who Helped

In time of need, neighborhoods come together to help all around WRITTEN BY: RACHEL COLE AND RACHEL DIETERT

13

PHOTO BY: GRACE SUTTON

Whether it being gutto help, supting houses, moving plies from furniture, or providing duct tape to meals, the neighborwaders to hoods all around us tools, and came together as one just a place to in the time of unsit down and certainty which was relax during Harvey. a break from After all the water hard work. had left the streets “A comand people started mand post to emerge to work on was right their homes, more and behind my more people wanted house, and to help and work. “It I would was as if the neighborwork there hood became one big every day to family; it amazed me,” watch kids, sophomore Maddie organize “Houston Strong” wall The Houston Strong wall represents food, and help Dawson said. the city’s unity during the traumatic flood.

Churches, sport deliver food teams, and clubs all to people who were open every day of the week got together to help move furniare working and can’t make it to and had supplies, snacks, and ture out of houses, move trash the post that day,” sophomore three meals a day. The meals out, and even take out floors and Maddie Dawson said. “It was so would be cooked by families in walls. “I volunteered through my cool to see all these people donatthe neighborhood, and at the end church to help clean and gut out ing food, drinks, and supplies on of the day, everyone would take a houses almost everyday after the the daily.” A/C and bathrooms break and eat together as a comwater left,” sophomore Nathan were also both available to use. munity.

Brown said. This is only one of Day in and day out, parents and In the Memorial Glen neighborthe many organized volunteer teens helped out as much as they hood, there were two locations groups lending a helping hand. could post-Harvey, but where for the command posts. There, People even offered their homes did all the kids go? More teens you could find volunteers eager to host a command post. These and parents helped volunteer in

different various places to babysit children.

This camp was held every day for a couple weeks after the disaster hit. “I helped volunteer at the Refuge Journey. We babysat kids and helped parents out. Plus, it was fun to play with the kids and cheer them up after everything that happened to them and their family,” sophomore Audrey Crawford said.

Even in certain areas around the city, places were popping up, offering donated items from supplies for demolishing homes, to clothes for anyone who lost theirs in the flood. “I helped volunteer at the Refuge where they were handing out different supplies, clothing and food,” sophomore Allison Fuller said. “Different people from all over were donated so many things for those who needed it.”

If one were to walk down the streets of a flooded neighborhood, they would only see a community who came together to help those who needed it. If Harvey was anything else other than a devastating storm, it was a storm that brought our community and neighbors together closer than we’ve ever been.

“People were helping the families that lost everything, and the sense of unity was felt in everyone.” -Sophomore Carolyn Koerner

“I went to volunteer to help those who, unfortunately, weren’t able to help themselves.” -Sophomore Madisyn Sangi

“I helped out at a camp for kids to make meals for displaced families and helped clean out houses that were directly next to the bayou.” -Sophomore Hannah Timmreck

Unity in the Community How the community helped out to lift those in need PHOTOS BY: BETH COLE

“To see the community come together is a great sight, and I’m so thankful for all the help I have received

and witnessed.” -Junior Keri Collins

Working Hand in Hand: Neighbors

in Memorial Glen and Nottingham unite to set up service stations and command posts to provide victims with clothes, food, water, and other necessities.

Others work to demo flooded houses.

“What amazed me the most was the community that came together from boxing up china to ripping out sheet rock to running the command post.”

-Sophomore Maddie Dawson

14

Collaborating Community The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Survivor’s Guilt

Number 99: the Man with the Plan

WRITTEN BY: NICOLE WHITEFORD

WRITTEN BY: SARAH STOKES people from far and In response to Hurricane Harvey, JJ Watt, the wide all came together, supporting each and face of the Texans and every person that was now Houston Hero, and affected by Hurricane his Foundation raised Harvey. over 31 million dollars, “It’s such a testament which greatly surpassed the initial goal of to how much good there is in the world,” JJ Watt $200,000. Watt took to said to USA Today. social media to encourAs the contributions age fellow athletes, celebrities and everyday started to roll in, a question on everyone’s mind citizens to donate. Fellow Houstonians, mem- was “where exactly is the money going to go?” bers of Watt’s Wisconsin Well, the man with hometown, as well as the plan also has an

JJ Watt’s Harvey relief fund raises over $31 million

Compensating one t-shirt at a time PHOTOS BY: DAN TATULESCU

Throughout our commedia. munity there was an “I utilized social media abundance of families platforms to the best of who were affected by my abilities to spread Hurricane Harvey as it the word about my released its wrath upon fund-raiser and the rest our city. As a result there was history. Also everywere also tons of citizens one loves T-shirts, so I who came to the rescue thought that would be of those in need. Wheththe best way for people er it was saving them to give back to the comfrom the floods, helping munity,” Rincon said. them muck out their All of the donahouses, or even making tions from each of their shirts to raise money, fund-raisers went to the students found ways to JJ Watt Foundation. “I help. Seniors Lexi Lanam excited to say that ning and Allie Rincon, I raised over $800 and as well as sophomore I am very excited for Meredith Clark were the shirts to come in,” three students of many exclaimed Lanning. that designed and sold While Houston does its T-shirts to raise money rebuilding, our Stratford for Harvey victims. community is stronger “I was extremely fortuthan ever. nate to not personally be affected by Harvey. It Students Do Their was my survivor’s guilt that inspired me to make Part Junior Nicole Whiteford wears a shirt a difference,” explained Rincon. The best way to designed and sold by spread the word about Meredith Clark .(right) something, according to Rincon, is through social

Supporting the cause Sophomore

Michael Goolsby and senior Lauren Byram wear shirts that raised money for Harvey relief.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: DYLAN MCKNIGHT AND ADDISON BARRETT

Harry Connick Jr. was sim-

Bringing color to Houston again Senior Mandy Hutchings, who was landlocked at home during Harvey, was devastated by the images and videos of friends’ and neighbors’ flooded homes that filled her social media feed. “I saw all the damage on the walls and thought about all the paintings that were probably going to be destroyed or have mold in them, so I thought of making the paintings so that people could have something new to start over with, and it could remind them of how strong they were.”

Hutchings, who has been painting since 2nd grade, uses several design ideas, one of which was designed by senior Allie Rincon.

Rincon’s digital design, pictured below, became popular on social media during the flood and caught Hutchings’ attention.

With permission, Hutchings now paints the design in various color

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: MANDY HUTCHINGS schemes.

As far as pricing, Hutchings sells her art for $15 per canvas, but gives them to flood victims for free. All proceeds are donated to the flood relief funds. So far, Hutchings has raised $250, and she plans to keep painting. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, contact Mandy Hutchings at 281-881-1541.

Harry in H-Town

Celebrities journey to Houston to aid in relief efforts

Repainting and Repairing WRITTEN BY: BAYLE GOLDMAN

answer. “I’m going to take my time, make sure that I work with local organizations. That we do it right here in the city so that money goes straight to the people here of Houston who need it the most,” Watt explained to media reporters.

With all the money raised, JJ Watt was able to give aid and much needed supplies to Houston and surrounding cities and counties.

Texas Proud (Below) Hutchings poses with her first design, which is currently the most popular.

The “Us” in “Houston” (Left) Hutchings

uses several design ideas, one of which emphasizes the unity that Houstonians showed during Harvey.

ply one of many celebrities that flocked to the Harvey stricken greater Houston area in the days that followed the worst hits of the historic flood. Among the celebrities sighted in the area were: -Anderson Cooper investigative journalist -JJ Watt professional football player

15

Collaborating Community The Oracle / October 4, 2017

Spartans Helping Out

Students and staff come together to lend a helping hand WRITTEN BY: TATYANNA LETT Spartans have come together by the truckload to help with post-flood efforts in the community. Boys basketball and football went and mucked out houses in the days that followed the storm. Various student groups and faculty members volunteered by helping nearby neighbors muck out their houses to be redone.

We know that Harvey was a rough time for many.

That’s why we had to come together as a community to aid in relief efforts. We helped out strangers, family,

PHOTOS BY: NICOLE WHITEFORD

and friends. We managed to assist many people and get lots of work done.

Student Council and National Honor Society are helped collect donations of cleaning supplies and other needed materials through pleas on social media. They have been going out into the community on Saturday mornings helping teachers and neighbors who have flooded. Members of the community have also been invited in to pick up supplies as everyone tries to get back on their feet.

If you are a senior and aren’t afraid of getting your hands dirty, then this may be a great opportunity for you. You and a team of like-minded individuals looking to give back, will remove debris from devastated homes and properly dispose of it. This is a physically demanding job, so be prepared to break a sweat!

Address: Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay, Houston, Texas, 77024

2. Food Packing and Distribution

Depending on the role you choose, you will either be packing food inside the Houston Food Bank Warehouse, or distributing food to the public in the Houston Food Bank’s Keegan Kitchen. The Houston Food Bank, one of the largest in the nation, has been helping bring people food since 2008 thanks to teams of dedicated volunteers,. Now they are busier than ever and need help meeting the needs of our city. You can also drop off food to donate to the Food Bank.

Website: www.houstonfoodbank.org Telephone: 713-223-3700

Juniors Stephen Cho, Dylan Uthman, Preston Bouwhuis, Joseph Cohran, and Andrew Park all volunteered to help muck out affected homes in the community. As friends they just wanted to do what they could as they drove around, seeing the devastation.

History of Hurricanes, continued from page 5

Statistics can compare damages from two Hurricanes such as Ike and Harvey, but they cannot determine how much people suffered. “I think it’s kind of challenging to compare the two storms just because of how much of the city each of them impacted,” Principal Carl Blaze said. “I think that Ike came in and the ated wear a wristband to show they city certainly incurred some damages, but I think, in lived in her neighborhood. She was terms of what I’ve seen, the damages to communities extra cautious about who was ‘rescudue to the flooding and everything else, is probably ing’ people because looters somemuch worse during Harvey than during Ike.” times pretended they were helping It was not just homes that were damaged. In any people. disaster, a community that has been wounded must “I believe that it really did prevent band together to come back stronger.“In terms of how homes from being looted, everyone people have come together, and railed around one came together and helped, brought another, I don’t think I’ve seen anything better just in food, and cleaned houses, everyone terms of how people have lived in community with helped out as much as they possibly one another, how I’ve seen neighbors reach out one to could,” Mrs. Vatterott said. The neighanother, to do whatever the could to help one to the borhood watch groups forming was other,” Blaze said. “It’s a incredible demonstration, I just one more way that our commuthink, not just for the community, but for the city.” nity came together during Harvey.

Hurricane Harvey took much away from this city, but the people of Houston came back stronger together, proving that no storm, regardless of wind speed, storm surge, or cost of damages, could get in the way of unity.

Neighbors form a watch group to help protect their friend’s empty homes

WRITTEN BY: LIBBY GRIZZELL The flooded, vacant houses hurricane Harvey brought upon us was just bait for looters. Looters will go into any empty house or business and take anything they can, but the neighbors who did stay, all came together to protect their friends houses.

Veronica Vatterott, a resident in Yorkshire, a neighborhood that was heavily flooded, felt like she had to do something to help her neighbors since her house wasn’t flooded. She got together a neighborhood watch team to help protect against the looters that show up during disasters.

Mrs. Vatterott put up a post on her neighborhood’s Facebook page asking for residents who had not evacuated to sign up and help keep watch throughout the night. The quick and helpful responses surprised her.

Surrounding neighborhoods quickly caught on and all had people stationed at the entrances of their own neighborhoods.

“I didn’t directly come in contact with any looters while I was on a shift, but I know there were some that had come in before I got the watch team together,” Mrs. Vatterott said. She created a sign in and out sheet for those who lived in the neighborhood. She made everyone who had not evacu-

Unity through the storm

Guard Duty

Residents guard their neighborhood by making a “Check-in, check-out” systems to keep track of possible looters.

WRITTEN BY: ASHLEY CAHALAN Are you looking to give back to your community after Harvey devastated so many? Well look no further!

Here you will find a starting place to getting involved and giving back.

1. Flood and Debris Clean-Up

Mucking Together

The Eyes of the Storm

Help Harvey Victims Rebuild

Residents in Memorial Glen were ready to help, using their kayaks to help their neighborhoods, even if their own house had damage.

3. Animal Care

Many animals and pets have been temporarily or even permanently displaced due to the floodwaters of Harvey. With shelters nearly overflowing, volunteers are needed to take care of them and help get them back on their feet. Adopt -a-Pet is one of the many organizations involved in these efforts. This pet adoption site has been looking far and wide for volunteers and foster homes for displaced pets. The jobs and needs range from transport, to walking dogs. If you want to make an even greater commitment, consider becoming a foster parent and welcoming a furry friend into your home!

Website: www.adoptapet.com/shelter79934-pets. html

4. 24-Hour Emergency Shelter

There are numerous needs that must be met at this shelter, which is currently home to many victims after Harvey. You will be working directly with the victims, immediately relieving their needs and listening to their stories. Volunteers will be distributing baby supplies, toiletries, and food. Shifts are flexible and throughout the week.

Address: 7111 Homestead Road, Houston, Texas, 77028

5. KIPP Pals Donations

If none of the previous options work for you due to time restraints, then KIPP is the perfect opportunity for you! Every weekend from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., KIPP will be accepting donations at one of their many drop-off locations. KIPP is an organization of private charter schools looking to give kids the education they need to succeed, and they want to ensure that their children’s needs are met. To see a list of needs, check out the list on the KIPP website. Every little bit helps!

Address 8805 Ferndale, Houston, Texas, 77017 Website: www.kipphouston.org/blog/family-emergen cy-fund

16

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