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The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:26 AM

Weather Local Our View State National World Faith

Stories Of Faith, Bravery, Emerge From Flood Waters Of Harvey

Devastating flooding continues to ravage Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Hundreds of thousands of people have been and are being rescued. President Trump is traveling to the area of impact today to ensure that Texas residents are receiving the necessary aid.

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