KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
November 18, 2020
By Natalie Cook Clark
Hurricane Harvey was undoubtedly the greatest natural disaster to hit the Katy area. The community rallied together to be strong and recover from the epic flooding. Sadly, after three years, thousands of residents’ homes remain unlivable because of needed repairs.
Katy Families Still Affected by Flood Damage
13 million people were affected by Hurricane Harvey when it stalled out over the Greater Houston area late August of 2017. The storm was one of the most devastating natural disasters in Texas history.
Katy Responds, a local non-profit group, formed to help residents recover from the damage left behind by Hurricane Harvey. The organization is composed of a network of churches, business leaders, and community-minded people committed to community disaster recovery.
100th Restored Harvey Home
Katy Responds recently completed restoring their 100th home. They restored the home of Mrs. Virginia, a 71-year-old retired, disabled woman who lives alone.
Thousands of People Waiting for Help
“Usually, Katy Responds encounters homes that have mold issues due to flooding and structural damage,” explains Courtney Stewart, content marketer working with Katy Responds. “There are thousands of people whose homes are still not repaired or even livable because of Hurricane Harvey.”
Recently the group finished repairing the Abdollahi family home. They had over two feet of water flood their home during Harvey.
“We thought it was bad when the water was here but when it receded it was worse,” describes Mr. Abdollahi.
He talks about the mud and sludge left behind in a video shared by Katy Responds. His 20-year-old son even got an infection from the dirty water.
“The last couple of years haven’t been good years,” says Abdollahi. “Thank God we have our health, we are safe.”
The Abdollahi family lost everything they had on their home’s first floor during Hurricane Harvey.
Katy Responds took over repairs when the family couldn’t do it anymore. They picked up where they left off and repaired the home - including replacing two downstairs bathrooms.
“We’re looking forward to having a normal living condition,” says Abdollahi. “A normal life with dinners around the table.”
Katy Responds is actively working to reduce the number of homes still damaged from Hurricane Harvey and help their Katy neighbors get back into their homes.
Visit the Katy Responds website to learn more about their work and to make a donation. They will also keep their site updated on the upcoming 100th Harvey Rebuild Celebration.
Families who need support can reach out here.