The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:26 AM
Stories Of Faith, Bravery, Emerge From Flood Waters Of Harvey
Despite the devastation and tragedy brought by the hurricane, many people are refusing to allow it to crush their spirits. Instead, they are courageously choosing to help others.
ABC News reports that in addition to FEMA workers, the entire Texas National Guard, and local officials, many citizens are also throwing themselves into the relief efforts.
In Houston, one pastor took it upon himself to make sure no one was trapped inside vehicles stranded on what had been Texas State Highway 288.
Although it was dangerous, the man waded out to the cars to make sure that no one was trapped inside.
"He wanted to get out there to make sure those cars were empty," Brian
Roberson, a man who witnessed the pastor’s bravery, told CBS News. "It
was so powerful to see firsthand."
Another story of bravery involves a Houston mom who was separated from
her daughter as they were trying to escape the rising floodwaters.
The Daily Mail reports that Dajauh Zhane Henix had been in neck-deep
water with strong currents as she and her daughter Paige were evacuating
and became separated. Henix took to social media to ask for help in
finding her daughter.
The little girl was rescued by Harris County police officers who also
posted on social media to find the little girl’s mother. Thankfully,
little Paige was able to be reunited with her mother through the efforts
of local policemen.
Yet another story was shared by former Congressman Chris Bell. Bell and
his family live in one of the hardest-hit parts of Houston, according to
USA Today.
The water was so deep in the Bell’s home that they finally decided they
needed to evacuate, so they called the emergency number for help.
Bell shared how he, his wife, his children, and his pets all needed to
wait by the side of the road for rescue personnel to come for them.
"It was raining and really, really cold. At the time we had no idea
where we were going. My boys were scared, I was scared, Allison was
scared just because the uncertainty of the situation,” he recalled.
Then the Bell family encountered a brave man who was spending his time
and energy driving flood victims to safety. The Bells piled into the
man’s Jeep and he took them to safety.
So many other stories of bravery and the undefeatable human spirit are
emerging, even as the floodwaters continue to rise. Join us in
continuing to pray for Texas!
Photo: People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood after it was
inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28,
2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus
Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of
rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days
