Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on August 26th, we’ve watched with sadness as areas of Texas and Louisiana flooded.
Tens of thousands have been displaced and Texas faces an estimated $40 billion to $50 billion in damages. As this tragedy unfolded over the past 10 days, we have been inspired by all the kind and generous people who have come together to help those affected by the storm. Those unlucky enough to have lost their homes to extraordinary amounts of flooding have been flattered by donations and offerings as they begin to reach out to different austin roofing contractors to try and replace their roofs as a first step towards trying to get their lives back on track. If this event has taught anyone anything, we all must be better prepared for a natural disaster that could impact you and your home. As much as receiving care packages after the event is a kind way to keep those impacted on their feet, everyone should keep emergency survival kits, like this earthquake kit, in their home for when disaster strikes.
The sheer amount of rainfall meant that many homes found their roofs becoming heavily damaged and caving in, leaving their homes open to the elements. Many companies, such as Ace Roofing Company, are citing extremely high numbers of callouts following on from the Hurricane’s path, but many people have lost more than the integrity of the roof of their home. Some will need help from a company that will handle severe water damage, as due to the severity of the floods it will require an expert’s eye in Water Damage and Roofing of Lakeway, or another region, to fully assess the damage and fix the issues. Others will need a whole rebuild of their home, and will likely sadly have to leave the area.
Since our founding in 1989, Nitsch Engineering has been committed to building better communities with you. This is more than a tagline to us – it’s a real commitment to being stewards for our various communities and working to make the world a better place. As part of this commitment, we support our communities throughout the year and make charitable donations to community organizations each year around September 15th, our anniversary.
While we typically focus our community giving on charities located near our offices, this kind of natural disaster serves as a reminder of the fact that we are all connected as part of the national and global community. With that in mind, last week Nitsch Engineering sent our 2017 anniversary donation to the United Way of Greater Houston Relief Fund. This Fund will support the greater Houston community on the road to recovery following Hurricane Harvey. Their first priority is safety, shelter, and basic needs like food. Once the community is stabilized, United Way will focus on long-term recovery efforts.
In addition to our corporate donation, Nitsch Engineering’s employees are working together to raise funds for four charities that will benefit those impacted by the storm:
- Houston Food Bank collects and distributes nutritious meals to hunger relief charities such as food pantries, soup kitchens, and other meal sites. In 2016-2017 they distributed 83,000,000 meals – and Hurricane Harvey means that even more people will be in need.
- The City of Houston set up the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, which is being managed by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and will benefit the people who will need extensive help to get back on their feet after the storm.
- The Houston SPCA is Houston’s largest animal protection organization and shelter. During and in the aftermath of emergencies such as Hurricane Harvey, the Houston SPCA provides animal-related disaster rescue, relief, and resources.
- The American Red Cross has developed an Amazon Wish List specifically to help Hurricane Harvey victims.
Mr. Rogers famously said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.‘ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
We hope you’ll join us in helping our friends in Texas, either by donating to one of these charities or one of the other organizations working in Houston. If you haven’t found the right charity for you yet, Charity Navigator has developed a list of some highly rated organizations responding in the aftermath of the storm that you may find helpful.