Wind gusts from the storm registered at 130 mph and rain storms are predicted to continue throughout the coming week as Harvey stalls out and possibly turns back to the east, dropping up to 30 inches of rain and producing widespread flooding. Although many residents evacuated beforehand, nearly 1,000 people are reported to have sought emergency shelter and widespread power outages and water or wind damage are making movement dangerous. Harvey is the first major hurricane to make landfall in 12 years, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and it is likely making a lasting impact on the Texas coast.
“Harvey’s slow progress over the Texas coast delays entering high-impact areas due to the safety issues involved,” World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) Director Bob Laarman said this morning. “First responders and organizations that are posed to provide immediate relief such as food, shelter, and clothing are active right now, and World Renew is seeking out high-impact communities that are less likely to receive recovery assistance. World Renew Disaster Response Services volunteer managers are continuing to connect with state and local officials to set the stage for long-term recovery. By long-term recovery, I mean that we will probably be looking at several years of work.”
After Hurricane Harvey’s wind and rain conclude, World Renew will offer clean-up teams, needs assessments, building estimates, capacity-building to local organizations, and home repair services in communities that have been devastated by the storm. World Renew focuses its response efforts on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable disaster survivors, those who are not able to recover on their own and are at risk to being lost or forgotten as the recovery progresses.
Your help is needed in Texas, not only in the early days of storm, but also in the months and years to come. Please give to World Renew’s Hurricane Harvey response today and make an impact in the lives of Hurricane Harvey survivors now – and in the months to come.
