The following is an excerpt from an article posted on InterAction in Aug 2017:
“Houston is one of the largest cities in the nation and it’s prone to flooding. Islamic Relief USA’s Disaster Response Team was in Houston in 2015 and again in 2016 responding to flooding. When we heard Harvey was going to deluge the city with approximately 35 inches of rain — double what we responded to in 2016 — we knew the situation was dire. It’s been even worse than predicted, with more than 50 inches already fallen and more rain to come.
When Islamic Relief USA’s Disaster Response Team arrived on Sunday, Houston was shut down and under water, so we couldn’t get in. So we worked with the American Red Cross to set up a mega shelter in the Dallas convention center to take care of the evacuees when they can finally get out of Houston.
When you first walk in to this shelter, it’s eerie.
The place is massive but it looks empty. There are rows upon rows of cots, and each one has a little blanket and a little cover on it.
Each of these cots represents a person who will be here soon. It’s a little mind-boggling.
I’ve been to Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan and that’s enormous. However, in the U.S., I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Read the full post on InterAction
