We currently live in the Houston area and I have been posting updates on Facebook about the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Our family was not flooded so we are trying to help those who are suffering around us. It just occurred to me that I could be posting the Facebook posts here too, in case anyone is wanting to know what is going on here beyond what you can see on the news.
This was yesterday's post.
I've never done anything as gross as I did today. And I've done some pretty gross things.
I truly cannot imagine what it must be like to see your memories covered in muddy fecal water.
Driving through neighborhoods with street after street lined with years of memories brings an instant lump to your throat. Once you walk up to a home the smell is the first thing to assault your nose. We will never forget the smell. Ever.
The first house belonged to a couple who was in their 80's. They had lived there for 40 years. They were so sweet. The wife had a stroke about a year ago and now a flood. The water got about 2 feet high in their house. A crew from our church was there yesterday so we just had to finish up. We poured water out of lower cabinet items and had to throw most of it away. Anything plastic or porous is unsalvageable.
Honestly, I wouldn't be able to eat off of anything that had been in that water. There just isn't enough bleach in the world....
On the way to the second house we drove through some hard hit areas and were in awe at how high the water had gotten. A small creek had swollen into a river that seemed as wide as the Mississippi. It was incredible. And the power of the water...it bent fences and broke down brick walls.
The second house was much worse. The water had gotten about 5 feet high inside. We were the first ones there and the stench was worse because mold had started to grow. A lady probably in her late 70's or early 80's lived there with her cat. She had a lot of magazines and cookbooks which were so soaked that they sometimes fell apart as we tried to lift them. I had kitchen duty and emptied pots, pans, and any containers in the lower cabinets. I dumped the sewage water as carefully as I could but it sometimes splashed on me. Gag! One big splash went down the front of me and into my rain boot. Is there enough bleach for that?! The kids were such troopers. They lugged soaking wet carpet, furniture---whatever necessary. At one point Jake said to me, "Mom, I stink." If boys think they stink... 
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The second lady had a grand piano which was so special to her. It was completely ruined. It had to be broken into pieces to get it to the street because it was so heavy. She started to watch the demo and I sent her back inside. Some things are just too hard to watch.
Bless her heart, she wanted to keep her pots and pans, silverware and glass items. But she has no idea where she is going to clean them. And again...is there enough bleach? 
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We put our shoes and boots on plastic bags in the back of the car, sat on plastic bags and had to keep the windows down to breathe on the drive home.
If our stuff smells that bad I truly cannot imagine that anything that flood waters touched can be cleaned.
Jeff and Jillian will be going out on a crew with us tomorrow. Kate and SaraGrace are a bit sad that they can't help but with their heart conditions they cannot be around all that bacteria.
Soggy piles of people's memories
A view of the street. Every street in this neighborhood looks like this.
My team
This was the owner of the first house thanking the kids for coming. After this, he invited them back inside to chose a hat from his collection.
Kind of hard to see but the fence is bent over and covered with debris.
Brick wall broken down. It went on like this for over and block...just piles of bricks
Entering another neighborhood
Jordan's feet at the end of the day. This was after using Clorox wipes. Ick.
Something I have already grown to love about Texans is their spirit. There has been no complaining. No hand writing. Sadness and grief, yes. A numb disbelief, yes. But the victims are able to try to pull themselves together while church groups, friends and neighbors come, roll up their sleeves and just get things done. We saw several homes with their belongings piled outside but their American and Texas flags still proudly waving.
