Houstonians remain resilient in the face of flooding

NY Times:

Areas of Houston Are Submerged; Death Toll Rises to 10

• The Houston area looks like an inland sea dotted by islands, and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said people needed to prepare for “a new and different normal for this entire region.”
• The full scale of the crisis is still uncertain, but officials said about 30,000 people would seek emergency shelter, and 450,000 are likely to seek federal aid.

When you consider the scoop of the flooding and the fact that the population of the Houston metro area is around 6.5 million, the casualties and displacements are not as great as might be expected.  I watched the local Houston channels the last couple of days and have been impressed not only by the volunteers and first responders but also by the spirit of those rescued.

I remember seeing a large man wading through the water carrying his five-year-old daughter with his wife near by being interviewed as they boarded a vehicle to go to a shelter.  His response to the reporter who asked him how he felt was, "I feel blessed."  In effect, he was saying that he had his family and they were going to be safe.

At an interview in the George R. Brown Civic Center where many of the people were being sheltered and fed and given clothing, I watch a smiling black woman with four smiling kids talk about their experience and how grateful they were for what was being provided.

I watch an elderly woman who had just left her flooded home interviewed in a relatively wealthy neighborhood and she showed the same resilience.

In all the Texan attitude of optimism in the face of adversity shines through the gloom.