In Hurricane Laura’s Wake

In the last few days, the Houston area has witnessed the awesome power of hurricanes. The broken trees, damaged buildings and power outages attest to the destructive power of high winds and storm surges. THe U.S. Geological Survey even reported the hurricanes made rivers run backwards. But, just as powerful as the hurricanes, the people of Houston have the power to reach out to our neighbors and help rebuild our communities. The Houston Chronicle has a list of resources that Houstonians can access if the need assistance or for us to contribute a donation for those that want to help

Hurricane Laura caused Neches River to flow backward for 12 hours

By Taylor Pettaway Published 1:37 pm CDT, Monday, August 31, 2020

When Hurricane Laura hit the Texas-Louisiana border last week, the water and wind caused something strange to occur— the Neches River started flowing backwards.

Because the hurricane pushed so much water ahead as it was coming ashore, it reversed the flow of the Neches River away from Sabine Lake for about 12 hours, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The USGS said once Laura came ashore, the flow rate of water rapidly increased to about 15,000 cubic feet per second, a rate that would fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in about six seconds—typically its flow rate is about 2-3,000 cubic feet per second.

The same phenomenon happened in 2008 when Hurricane Ike hit Texas, though then the water flow was more dramatic flowing at about 30,000 cubic feet per second, the USGS said. 

How to help people in Hurricane Laura’s devastating wake

By Sonia Ramirez, Chron.com Updated 5:11 pm CDT, Monday, August 31, 2020

While Houston was spared from the brunt of Hurricane Laura, organizations across town are coming together to help those in need.

The National Hurricane Center downgraded Laura to a Category 2 hurricane as the eye made landfall over Louisiana near the Texas state line in the early morning hours of Thursday, Aug. 27.

The following organizations are collecting supplies and donations:

Attack Poverty

Attack Poverty is an organization leading efforts to assist individuals in Louisiana in response to Hurricane Laura. Supplies requested include:

  • Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, toilet paper)
  • Food – nonperishables, beans, soup, rice, etc.
  • Tarps
  •  Zip locks
  • Trash bags
  •  Masks

Drop Off Sites Near Richmond, Rosenberg, and Sugar Land: 

Attack Poverty Headquarters

Drop off dates: 8/31-TBD

Drop off times: Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

For a complete list of items requested and other drops off sites contact: Disaster Recovery Team, APDR@attackpoverty.org

Address: 3727 Greenbriar Dr. Ste. 100 Stafford, TX 77477

Volunteers of America

You can make a donation to help those affected due to Hurricane Laura with a donation to Volunteers of America through a link they have set up on their website here. To donate by phone, please call us at 800-899-0089.

Project Hope

Project Hope has its emergency response teams on the ground to help meet immediate medical needs in the wake of Hurricane Laura. You can make a donation through its website at www.projecthope.org.

Americares

Your donations to Americares will support deliveries of medicine, medical supplies, and other critical aid to those affected by Hurricane Laura. Donations to Americares U.S. Disaster Relief Fund can be made through its website at
www.americares.org/usdisasterfund.

Lakewood Church (This donation drive ended on Saturday, Aug. 29).

As of 9 a.m. this morning Lakewood Church announced on their Facebook page that they will be collecting supplies such as bottled water, baby wipes, formula, and diapers to help those hardest hit by the storm in East Texas and Louisiana.

The Houston Food Bank

In anticipation of Hurricane Laura, the Houston Food Bank prepared disaster pallets and are working with multiple partners to help them respond to disaster sites, according to their Facebook page. In addition, you can visit their website here for other ways you can help as well as make a donation to support those impacted by the storm.

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross already has mobilized teams to the areas affected by Hurricane Laura to support local officials, according to their website. If you would like to help, they are asking you to visit their website at redcross.org, or call 800-RED-CROSS or text the word LAURA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Salvation Army

To support the emergency disaster services of The Salvation Army, they ask you to please visit their website: salvationarmyhouston.org. to make a donation.

We will update this list as more organizations share their plans to assist those affected by Hurricane Laura.

For more information and photographs, visit the Houston Chronicle.

At Abacus, we take pride in our community. Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical is a full service residential contractor that has been serving the greater Houston area for over 50 years. Abacus is a member of the Greater Houston Chamber of Commerce and has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau of Houston. Abacus is licensed and insured and offers 24/7 emergency service. To learn more about Abacus Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical, visit www.abacusplumbing.net or call 713-766-3605. License Numbers: ALAN O'NEILL M-20628 | TACLB82488E | TECL 30557

Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical services the greater DFW area including, but not limited to: Houston, Humble, Baytown, Bellaire, Conroe, Katy, Spring, Sugar Land, The Woodlands and more. Check out our Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical reviews or visit Abacus A+ BBB to confirm Abacus is a company you can trust.

You Can Count On Us

Call Today
For Service