Exactly a week after my eighth birthday, disaster struck. A deadly category four hurricane showed up in my city, and would not stop until everything in its path was destroyed. Whether it was your house, your school or that one irreplaceable picture in your room, you could count on it being gone when you came back.
The 25-27th of August in 2017 was hard on everyone in Southeast Texas. Although somehow the aftermath was even worse, and you can still see it today. Hurricane Harvey was a force majeure that destroyed my entire house in a two day span. My earliest memory of the hurricane was my stepdad, Steve Lisbony, and I driving in my mom’s mini van to a field, where I helped tons of other people fill sandbags and pile them in the back of our car. I remember we then drove back home and piled the sandbags in the forefront of our front and back doors. On a different day, a normal day, we had eaten waffles for breakfast, and we went on. Little did we know, that would be the last morning that we spend in our house for a long time.
That night, I was told to stuff everything I could on top of my bed, and in the top of my closet, and to do the same for my little brother, who was only two. We put all the dining room chairs on top of the table, and put away everything we could. I remember my mom and step dad saying we would leave when the rainwater reached the front tires of the cars in the garage. That happened too quickly. We piled everything we could into my step dad’s black Ford truck, and left the other car behind, since it was too low to the ground. Then we left our house to be torn apart by the storm, and to be waterlogged and ruined. I still pine for the way the house was before.
There are still things that I miss that were ruined by that storm. I had a beautiful acoustic piano that was given to me; I have played piano for many years, so that was a big loss for me. Although I now have a new piano that I am very grateful for, I miss the feel of my old one, every acoustic piano feels a little different, and I knew mine well. The weight of the keys were perfect, and I love the sound the pedal made when I lifted it too quickly. And although my piano was not exactly in tune, I loved the way it sounded. I miss it so much. Now, my piano’s a little different, and although now I am use to the feel of this piano, the other one is still heavily missed eight years later.
I am also reminded of the flood every time I open the drawers of the furniture in my room. I have gorgeous antique furniture that belonged to my mother, and before her, my grandmother. I was fortunate not to lose them; however, certain pieces were ruined by the water. So while some drawers have the same dark wood throughout, others have a bright pine wood that was used to replace the old, waterlogged parts. Although you cannot see the new wood by looking on the outside of the pieces, it is still a reminder when I open the drawers. I lost most of my things, and it was stressful to have to leave it all behind, so I am grateful that I still get to see the furniture set every day.
There is one event, that is sort of bittersweet. It still plays a part in my life every day. Whenever I got back to school after the flood hit, I was at Little Cypress Intermediate, or LCI. Mauriceville Elementary, or MVE, had been flooded and could not be used. So everyone in the district in those two grades came to my school. I met a few people from MVE that I had not known before, and when I moved from the junior high to the middle school in Mauriceville, I already had some friends. I still know most of those people to this day in high school. Although the first time I met them was not under good circumstances, it is still great that I met them.
Whenever I walk into my house, I remember the hurricane, and the way the house looked before the rain ruined it. I’m reminded of Harvey whenever I see my friends, and the memories with my family from before, during, and after the storm. Every thing that happened will always and forever be in the forefront of my memories.
