Former Pella Resident Says Rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey was “Surreal”

Hurricane Harvey prior to Landfall (Photo: NASA)

As record floods from Hurricane Harvey continue to devastate much of the Texas and Louisiana coastline, many people in those areas with ties to Marion County are feeling the widespread impact of the deadly tropical storm.

Former Pella resident Tom Hinga now resides in League City, Texas, which is approximately 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Hinga tells KNIA/KRLS News his neighborhood saw upwards of 40 inches of rain in four days.

“It was a really surreal feeling, when the rain is coming down and you don’t know when it’s going to stop and if you and your family are going to be okay,” Hinga says. “There are neighborhoods a mile or less [away] where people had water up to their roofs.”

Hinga stayed in close contact with his family living in Pella, as they helped provide crucial information when electricity and cell phone towers started to fail.

“They were a real lifeline for me in the middle of the crisis, because my sisters Cathy, Ann, and Lynn stayed in communication, as well as my cousin Bob in Michigan,” he says. “They were so wonderful in just watching out and praying and caring for all of us.”

Hinga says his home was spared from flood waters, but adds the recovery will be slow and difficult for his neighbors in need, and encourages anyone who wishes to help to donate to relief organizations such as the American Red Cross or Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
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Organizations to Donate to Harvey Relief Efforts:

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation.

Houston Food Bank and the Food Bank of Corpus Christi.

The American Red Cross is accepting donations from anyone that texts HARVEY to 90999 to donate $10.

AmeriCares

Satellite image of Harvey as it hits Texas and Lousiana from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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