On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas Gulf Coast. Within hours of storm making landfall, Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team was on the ground distributing emergency supplies like food, water, and hygiene items to survivors.
In an unprecedented manner, the storm lingered over Texas, dropping trillions of gallons of water. According to officials with the state of Texas, around 800,000 homes were affected.
In the months following the hurricane, Convoy of Hope led volunteer teams in debris removal operations for homes that had been flooded. Currently, Convoy has transitioned into delivering building supplies to churches and long-term recovery groups. These organizations then distribute the supplies to affected families.
One family severely affected by the storm was Jessie Mouton’s. Jessie, her husband, and their two young sons — ages 5 years and 18 months — live in Winnie, Texas. They had been in their new home less than a year before Hurricane Harvey hit.
“New baby, new house, flood — that was the timeline” Mouton says.
The family left their home on August 26, as they evacuated from the storm. Little did they know, they wouldn’t be able to move back in until December 8.
The Mouton’s home flooded with more than 12 inches of water, forcing them to remove all of the drywall in their home. They estimate they lost about 75% of their belongings — including furniture, appliances, and pictures.
While their home was being restored, the Mouton family alternated between staying with family members, in a hotel, and in a camper. Mouton describes this process as being very confusing for her 5-year-old son. She remembers him being very sad the first time he saw their home, saying it was “broken.” She agreed it was broken, but promised him they would put it back together.
With the help of their local church, the Mouton’s received the drywall they needed from Convoy of Hope. Mouton describes receiving the drywall as very “unexpected and overwhelming.”
As things are starting to get back to normal for the Mouton family, they recognize there is still work to do, saying that they are “… all in until it’s all done.”
Learn more about Convoy of Hope’s response to Hurricane Harvey here.
