On Friday August,25, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and Louisiana as well as many countries in South America. It was a Category 3 hurricane that devastated many people in the south. The damage it caused was very extensive. It damaged homes, vehicles, and just about anything in its path. But how did Harvey cause so much damage, even though it was only a Category 3? The answer to that is water. According to meteorologists, water did the most damage during the hurricane.  Just imagine, if you live in Texas, what would happen if you came out of your house one and there was multiple feet of water in the street. How would you feel? Many people have suffered tragic losses because of Harvey. Many have lost their homes, all of their possessions, and some, even a family member’s life.

Hurricane Harvey has caused a lot of damage, as you may know. It has caused so much damage that it is expected to be the most costly hurricane in history. While Hurricane Katrina was the most costly hurricane at 108 billion dollars, Hurricane Harvey is expected to cost much more. With extensive water damage pretty much everywhere in the affected area, that is supposed to be the most costly. This money will cover the rebuild of houses, buildings, and all of the cars and signs that were ruined by the hurricane. Houston expects that it will take years to fully recover from Hurricane Harvey.

In the first four days of Harvey hitting Texas, it brought 40 inches of water into the southern cities of Texas. This amount of water ended a record 12 year drought. Some may consider the drought ending being a good thing, but most people say all this water has completely ruined their homes. One victim Tosha Atibu and his family said they had to flee northeastern Houston to get out of the way of the forceful flood waters. Atibu says that him and his family are now living in his broken down house. ” I know its not a safe place to be but… I have no other place to go.”. This is just one example of what people are dealing with in Texas.

As you can see, many people are struggling in Texas and there are some ways that you and your community can help them. Even if you are hundreds of miles away. You can donate food and supplies, and if you do live in Texas, you could volunteer for the American Red Cross. As you can see, Harvey has hit Texas very hard damaging and devastating people’s lives. Find out how you can help Texas in their struggle to rebuild the cities hit by Hurricane Harvey.