Hurricane Harvey slammed into the southeastern Texas coast two Fridays ago as a Category 4 storm, lashing homes and businesses with 130-mile-per-hour winds and dumping three or more inches of rain per hour, according to the National Weather Service. The storm surge out of the Gulf of Mexico ranged from six to 12 feet.
Harvey was the most powerful hurricane to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The footage of hurricane-force winds and flooding that has dominated the news lately are eerily familiar to Long Islanders, and in many areas of the Heralds’ coverage area — Long Beach, Island Park, Oceanside, East Rockaway, parts of Baldwin and the Five Towns, parts of Bellmore and Merrick — Hurricane Sandy’s consequences endure. Its physical, psychological and financial effects are felt by many residents and business owners to this day.
That’s why Harvey hurt so much. We have felt the anguish and devastation firsthand here on Long Island, and those visuals of Texas cities and towns turned into flood zones dredge up awful memories of our own struggle. This pain is familiar.
All around the impact zone of Harvey, our fellow Americans are still hurting, and still need help. Long Islanders owe it not only to our brothers and sisters in Texas, but also to ourselves, to continue the hard work of providing assistance to those in need.