Helping Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts in Texas
The Structural Engineers of Texas (SEAoT) organization recently sent out a call for volunteers to help the city of Rockport, TX, evaluate wind-damaged structures after Hurricane Harvey. Rockport was under the eye of the storm when it made landfall and was completely devastated by wind and rain.
My colleague Michael Mudlock and I joined a team of twenty-five engineers to help the Rockport Public Works Department. We spent two days rapidly assessing homes and buildings, so many of which were completely destroyed or unsafe to enter because of falling hazards or structural instability. We tagged homes green, yellow or red, which was a scale of safety based on the type of damage we saw. It was heartbreaking to see so much destruction, but inspiring to see the resiliency of the people in Rockport as they rebuilt their lives. My prayers are with all the hurricane victims in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.