Waters rose quickly as the rain kept coming day after day, leaving people wondering if their house was going to flood. With wind whipping around the houses and tornado warnings going off, what seemed like constantly, flooding wasn’t the only issue at hand. As danger quickly approached, people questioned what kind of help they would need in order to recover from the storm while others wondered how they could help.Waters rose quickly as the rain kept coming day after day, leaving people wondering if their house was going to flood. With wind whipping around the houses and tornado warnings going off, what seemed like constantly, flooding wasn’t the only issue at hand. As danger quickly approached, people questioned what kind of help they would need in order to recover from the storm while others wondered how they could help.

“I went over and worked in the Cinco Ranch Junior High shelter for a couple of days after the storm was over,” principal Ted Vierling said. “It was very hard to see everybody, and all they had was in a plastic bag.”

Even during the trying times and dangerous storms, many people found a way to help each other in various ways.

“It was pretty cool because we had teams going out and tearing out sheetrock in people’s houses,” Vierling said.

When it came to volunteering, every helping hand was appreciated and welcomed whether it be hard, physical labor in the Texas heat and humidity, donating supplies, or making food.

“We went into Grand Lakes and handed out ice water and snacks to people working on their houses,” Vierling said. “They all seemed very appreciative, but it’s just hard to see that.”

By assisting neighbors whose houses flooded with volunteering, donating, and being willing to go the extra mile, many people learned the real value of help. Sometimes the most helpful thing for families in need is just knowing that people care.

“I was glad I was able to go see, because we have all these students struggling and you need to be able to see that. You see stuff on TV, or you see foreign countries and you think ‘oh, that’s awful for them’ but you don’t really connect,” Vierling said. “With something like this it’s a real, personal connection because it’s either your house that’s destroyed or you know somebody, or a lot of somebodies, so it makes it personal.”

In a time when it may have felt like the world was very divided due to politics and ideologies, a catastrophic event such as this brought the community together.

“I think that sometimes living out here in this part of the world, we are kind of sheltered from some of those things,” Vierling said. “I’ve never known anybody whose house was just completely destroyed like that, not personally anyway.”

Experiencing extreme devastation in such a close proximity to one’s own home created a sense of community in the volunteer efforts. Despite any differences, living through a storm like Hurricane Harvey shed light on the importance of unity among all people.

“I think it helped us take a step back and [realize] that all this can be gone in two hours,” Vierling said. “I think people figured out what’s really important: going out and volunteering. That’s the positive that comes from something so negative: people are a little more grateful for what they do have.”

Many people felt pride in the copious amounts of help and donations that were instantaneously given to those in need.

“I was very proud of the staff and kids. I’m a big believer in people taking care of each other. It’s easy to talk about it. It’s easy to walk around the halls and [say you] volunteer, but in reality, it’s you bringing a can of soup and getting NHS points. When you’re out there sweating and shoveling slop off of somebody’s floor – that tests your mettle,” Vierling said.

Leaders of the community unified to tackle the damage together. With the community helping one another, animosities were set aside.

“We are a big district and there are a lot of schools and kids,” Vierling said. “I think stuff like this helps pull us together as a bigger community, not just Seven Lakes; it’s the greater Katy community. You forget about [rivalries] and you realize that, in reality, we’re all in the same boat. There wasn’t a school that wasn’t touched by the flood in some form or fashion.”

While Hurricane Harvey was a tragic event, it was an opportunity for the community to come together.

“The whole thing has been as good as you can possibly get in a situation like this. It’s nice to see people rise to the occasion and really do something to help,” Vierling said. “I am proud of our staff, proud of our kids, and proud of our community.”