This is my friend, Linda. A couple days after Harvey pummeled the Texas coast on August 25th, her Houston home began to take on water. She and her family were displaced five nights, in three locations, until they were able to acquire an apartment. During this time, water from ongoing releases of local reservoirs continued. Ten days after Harvey hit the city, Linda and I went to their West Houston neighborhood to check on the house. The water on nearby streets was still high, but she was hopeful it had receded enough to salvage a few important items. Linda tentatively traversed the landscape, the standing water deeper with each step. I watched it rise, thigh high, until she rounded the corner and was out of sight. The water was brown and opaque and one wouldn't want to fall into the toxic pool. Linda didn't make it to her home that day. She went as far as her waist high waders would take her, then had to stop two doors down and turn around. The water rose in their home over five feet and they weren’t able to return until September 10th. They lost most all of their belongings, three vehicles, and are still in the process of rebuilding.
