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Helping Hands and the Challenges of Recovery from Hurricane Harvey
By Sandra Tzul Houstonians found ways to ensure their neighbors got what they needed by cruising neighborhoods with supplies. Photo courtesy of Debbie Z. Harwell. As Houstonians rode out Hurricane Harvey the most devastating storm in Houston’s history recovery weighed heavily on their minds. Rains pounded the area in late August 2017, as residents witnessed […]
Adapting a Plan: The City of Houston’s Emergency Shelter During Hurricane Harvey
By Christina Shibu Houston Fire Department EMTs administer aid to a Hurricane Harvey evacuee in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center shelter. Emergency medical personnel and doctors treated patients for many different issues from dehydration to mental health issues and chronic illnesses. Photo courtesy of Diana J. Rodriguez. One week in the latter […]
Mental Health in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey
By Andrew Tello As recovery from the storm began, Houstonians found solace in each other. Linda Vogel (second from right) assisted many in her Kingwood community through caring and outreach. Photo courtesy of Linda Vogel. When a hurricane strikes, those caught in its path often feel powerless to do little else but weather the storm. […]
Pets and Wildlife During Hurricane Harvey
By Carmen Crandell When his family evacuated, José Manuel Méndez was forced to leave his bigger dog at home due to lack of space in his truck. Fortunately, the dog was safe when Méndez returned for him. Photo courtesy of the Méndez family. Many pet owners love their pets and treat them like family members, […]
Harvey’s Cohabitated Animal Shelter
By Anna Mayzenberg Having found a safe haven, a dog rests on an American Red Cross blanket. The change in policy to allow pets in the shelter was a big step forward in responding to disasters. Photo courtesy of Friends For Life. The first day the George R. Brown Convention Center(GRB) opened as a Hurricane […]
Flood Insurance: A Necessary “Luxury”
By Sean D. Bartell Built in 1956, Eric Dowding’s Braeburn home had never flooded until he hit the trifecta: Memorial Day 2015, Tax Day 2016, and Harvey in 2017. Photo courtesy of Eric Dowding When Hurricane Harvey came, flooding was nothing new to Braeburn resident Eric Dowding. Having lived in Houston with his wife Trang […]
![“[Houston Strong] was
so widespread in Harvey ... I love how Houston is
so diverse. ... Different ethnicities, different religions, and this crossed that. This was not a Jewish issue. This was not a Christian issue. This was a Houston issue, and it continues to be. ... We can all come together and support each other, even if we don’t have an answer for it.”1 Nomi Solomon, Meyerland resident.](https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/houston-1238154_1920-1-100x100.jpg "Drawing Power from Community — Houston Strong")
Drawing Power from Community — Houston Strong
By Eva Marie Bernal Although Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, residents’ spirits rose above it all, symbolized by the phrase: Houston Strong. The expression became a rallying cry that symbolized the city’s resilience, hope, and optimism as residents worked to rebuild. But it also meant different things to different people, from helping a neighbor to unifying […]
Table of Contents, 18.1, Resilient Houston: Documenting Hurricane Harvey
Download the full pdf here18.1 Letter from the Editor, Debbie Z. Harwell 2Before the Storm: Forecasting Hurricane HarveyBy Samantha de Leon5Stories from the Watersheds: How Harvey Impacted Houston’s NeighborhoodsBy Nadia Abouzir8Looking Back: First Responders Reflect on Hurricane HarveyBy Graciela Cortez11Disaster and Dedication: The Story of Meyerland’s Jewish CommunityBy Anna Mayzenberg15Connecting Through Chaos: How Social Media Platforms Helped Save LivesBy Syed […]
50 Years at UH
On March 4, 2020, Drs. Leslie Alexander and Amilcar Shibazz participated in a panel moderated by Dean DoVeanna Fulton and sponsored by the UH Center for Public History Lecture Series to discuss the importance of African American Studies in the past and its continued critical role today. Click hear to read about the program’s history.
Now Available: Evolution of a Community
This issue looks at ways our community has evolved in its attitudes, politics, neighborhoods, and culture. In the 1920s or 1930s, an unknown artist painted this futuristic vision of Houston in 1980 that is at once fantasy and truth. Houston has evolved to include elevated freeways that encircle downtown as the artist anticipated, although they […]