Expats in Houston bracing for even more water

Published:  30 Aug at 6 PM
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Tagged: Property Abroad
Expatriates living and working in Houston are reporting Hurricane Harvey is the worst storm they’ve ever endured.

The large expat community living in the Texas city of Houston are agreed the still present hurricane-spawned rains are a massive tragedy for the city and its residents, but are fully aware the flooding isn’t yet over. The city’s entire average annual amount of rainfall has drenched the city in just four days and flooded all areas, with billions of dollars’ worth of damage done to homes, businesses and infrastructure across the entire conurbation. A further 80,000 residents whose properties are in the path of the San Bernard and Brazos rivers have been told to evacuate as both are about to burst their banks.

Individual accounts of the mayhem include that of former Aberdeen resident Stephanie Smart, on a work trip in the city when the hurricane struck. She told reporters many of her friends and colleagues had lost their homes, with many under six feet of water when their occupants were rescued. Stephanie is communications manager for Seanamic Group Ltd, and was expecting to fly to Aberdeen yesterday but cannot even get to the airport due to the flooded roads.

Andy Grieve, head of engineering consultancy Hampco, said the Katy suburb where he lives hasn’t been evacuated but many residents have left of their own accord. The water isn’t yet in his house but is still rising, with around 12 inches to go. He and his family can’t leave as the estate’s entrance gate is now under five feet of water. Local real estate agent Lorna Ramsey was caught up in the seemingly endless chaos, saying the floods are far worse than ever before. She’s now even more worried as the storm has backed up into the Gulf and is coming on again.

Many expats whose local stores have managed to stay open are seeing supplies running out fast and there are no options as regards getting essentials by finding another store. The storm is now heading into Louisiana, where it’s expected to cause even more chaos and disastrous floods.
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