Local resident riding Hurricane Harvey out with family in Texas

Photo by Sean Dolan

Mountain Home resident Sharon Stevens-Edwards and her daughter, former Mountain Home resident Suzanne Neff, are riding out the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey in Katy, Texas. The two, along with other friends and family members, report they are safe and at a friend’s home in the suburb, just west of Houston, approximately 18 miles from the metropolitan area. The tropical storm gained a Category 4 hurricane status Friday as it made landfall and has been called the worst disaster in Texas history.

In a news release Tuesday the U.S. Coast Guard shows helicopter crews evacuating Houston residents in flooded areas Monday. Vice Admiral Karl Schultz, Commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, says the Coast Guard is continuing to work with all federal, state and local agencies for rescue operations in the Houston area and the effort is still in the early stages.

The area of Katy has seen torrential downpours; heavy wind, including a possible tornado; and flooding over the past three days. The website https://coveringkaty.com/ founded by professional broadcast journalist Dennis Spellman, shows videos of the flooding and aftermath of the reported tornado.

Stevens-Edwards made the trip to Texas before the storm hit to watch her daughter’s son, David, so Neff, her husband Chris, and daughter Steff could spend time hiking in the Catskill Mountain Range of southeastern New York State. Neff says it was just by chance they were in the remote area yet still able to find out about the oncoming storm. They made immediate arrangements for the flight back home.

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A lot of the preparations for the storm had to be made by friends and Stevens-Edwards before the Neffs were able to make it back home including securing outside items, getting groceries and gas, and preparing to be without power-a process Neff says the family has gone through before.

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Stevens-Edwards continued to help Neff’s son make preparations and the rest of the Neff family made it home just as the rain was hitting their area. As of Tuesday morning Neff says it is still raining with 50 inches reported as of Monday night.

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Neff says the family faced the possibility of having to camp out in the top floor of their home, however, the family decided to evacuate to their friends home Monday due to rising water in the streets of their neighborhood.

The storm drains are unable to keep up with the pace of the falling rain. Local reservoirs are releasing water on alternate schedules, but the Neff family is in a planned flood zone which intentionally lets water rise in their area in order to save lives in areas of dire need. As of Monday morning their home had not yet taken on water.

Other families, less than a mile from their home, had to be evacuated including a friend and neighbor of Neffs who had to put their disabled child on a surfboard in waist deep water in order to get to safety.

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Neff says when the storms subside her family will work to rebuild and get back to normal as well as help those in need.

She encourages anyone who wishes to help contribute to contact their local Red Cross or church.She feels fortunate and thankful to her friends Troy, Ann and Nate Sutton, including their oldest son Dylan, a Second-Class Petty Officer in the Navy, who is on a 30-day R and R and took the time to help her family.

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