Hurricane Harvey has brought much destruction with it as it laid waste to Houston and most of southeastern Texas. The tropical cyclone began its fury on August 26th and lasted up to the 29th, but once it was over there was no telling how many lost to its rage.

The category 4 hurricane was seen as the strongest in winds since Hurricane Clara in 1966 and close to as destructive as Hurricane Katrina in 2009. Rockport mayor C.J. Wax said the town took the hurricane “right on the nose.” The death toll has now risen over more than 70 casualties reported. Even after the hurricane had ended, the locals had to brace for more rain which followed for the past weekend.

Much of the gulf coast was met with relentless winds and rains as rescuers struggled to help the fleeing and desperate residents from Harvey’s rampage. Helicopters strained trying to fight the fierce winds to pick up the helpless people trapped in their own homes waving for rescue from their rooftops.

Many storm chasers around the area who were fascinated by the phenomena, even took pictures of the devastation left in Harvey’s midst. Flipped over cars and wrecked buildings and homes and sewer drains that exploded from the 50 inches of rain that followed Harvey.

Many residents around San Antonio, Austin and Dallas reported as many as 338,000 power outages statewide, and nearly double the amount of flood reports. Seventeen year old Eric Johnson from a family that lived southwest of San Antonio said, “We’ve faced severe flooding before, but never as bad as this.” After the week long tempest finally ceased the aftermath was worse than facing the storm itself.

Buildings, apartments and homes were ripped apart and scattered like Legos. Vehicles were like sunken ships drowned in the massive flooding. Even many safety barriers and levees placed by the police and other storm respondents were nothing but rubble.

One official who observed the aftermath stated “ the water was so high that you could kayak in it.” Eventually after surveying the damages the officials began at work both searching the area for survivors and others beginning to clear the refuse.

As for the estimated 6.5 million citizens who were evacuated, they continue to remain in the evacuation centers because of no housing or food. Many people have left the centers to go to relatives who could offer food and shelter for them but many had nobody to turn to and so were forced to remain there until the damages were cleared and they could once again find proper housing for themselves and their children.

President Donald Trump pledged his “full support”during his speech to the nation, to the tens of thousands of victims who are now without homes or businesses has dispatched as much rescue support, medical supplies and flood responders as he could send. Texas governor Greg Abbott has even graded him and the federal government an A+ in their efforts to help.

The state of Texas remains in ruin and devastation from Harvey’s mayhem, Texas even being in quite a state of economic decline as many looters during the mass evacuation has left stores empty and cleared of anything that could benefit the evacuated masses. And worse yet is hurricane Irma that is just beginning its path of destruction upon Florida. But with the amount of support and donations given, hopefully Texas won’t be standing alone in recovering.