Jewish Houston Severely Impacted by Hurricane, Flooding by MICHAEL C

1908 2017 109 years Donate to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts at HoustonJewish.org The Texas Gulf Coast’s Jewish Newspaper Since 1908 AUGUST 31, 2017 - 9 ELUL 5777 Volume CX - Number 23 Houston, Texas jhvonline.com $2 Per Copy HARVEY WREAKS HAVOC JENELLE GARNER Residents in Willow Meadows rescued their neighbors in boats early Sunday morning as Hurricane Harvey floodwaters devastated Southwest Houston. Jewish Houston severely impacted by Hurricane, flooding By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV Jewish community institutions across FULL COVERAGE OF Greater Houston pledged to work together HURRICANE HARVEY: to aid those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, • Airboat pilot battled Harvey to save a record-smashing storm that has hammered the Texas Gulf Coast with a year’s worth of residents, Page 2 rainfall in less than a week’s time. • Community members evacuated to “The most immediate need is our families shelters, hotels, Page 2 and individuals who are hurting,” said Lee • JCC to open back up Aug. 31 for Wunsch, CEO of the Jewish Federation of aid distribution, Page 3 Greater Houston, during a conference call with local rabbis and community leaders on • Hebrew Order of David performs Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 29. door-to-door rescues, Page 3 The purpose of the call was to assess • Volunteers prep shul for storm, Page 3 needs, community-wide, and to strategize • Jewish camps offer accommodations recovery plans, participants noted. to hurricane evacuees “We have to find ways to collaborate to make resources available to the community,” • Residents plan to ‘rebuild’ and stay in said Wunsch, noting that combined ‘family’s home’ after re-flooding fundraising efforts would be coordinated • JHV Editorial: Hurricane recovery through the Jewish Federations of North hinges on community America. ROBIN ALTER Floodwaters forced the Alter family, waiting for rescue, out of their Meyerland-area home and atop “Every indication is that this storm is vehicles on higher ground going to eclipse [Hurricane] Katrina multi- rescue hundreds of neighbors in need. fold,” Wunsch said. “We must find a way to Houston. managed to overtake some homes that were Priority was given to the elderly and disabled. collaborate, otherwise we’re stepping on By noon on Aug. 27, JFS received infor- built up after previous floods. Jenelle Garner, who helps lead a each other’s toes. mation that community members on more Despite recent attempts to widen volunteer emergency response team in “It’s not about us. This is about our than 150 neighborhood blocks – including Brays Bayou and improve flood control in Willow Meadows, said her sons, Yari and families and institutions that are already in those consisting of multiple homes – had Southwest Houston, the Willow Meadows Akiva, and another student from Robert great need,” he said. been severely impacted by flooding. subdivision and neighborhoods in the M. Beren Academy, Noah Diner, performed Houston’s office of Jewish Family Service Most community members whose homes Meyerland area were engulfed by flood- multiple rescues on Saturday, Sunday and is handling case management for hundreds in Southwest Houston flooded in prior storms waters shortly after the bayou crested on Monday. Another volunteer, Michael Gross, of community members who lost homes and in recent years have now re-flooded. Homes Sunday morning, Aug. 27. also performed several rescues as homes in property during the storm. that have never flooded before, according to Local residents, including high school Willow Meadow took in several feet of water. “This is going to be years, not months [of residents, have now flooded for the first time. students, became first-responders as they recovery],” said Linda Burger, CEO of JFS In addition, Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters deployed boats and small watercraft to See Havoc on Page 4 SHORT WAIT TIMES! OPEN 9 A.M.-9 P.M. 7 DAYS A WEEK 4936 BEECHNUT ST. • 832-930-4598 • NEXTLEVELURGENTCARE.COM YOU NEED TO SEE THIS EXCLUSIVELY AT GALLERY FURNITURE SAVES YOU MONEY AND DELIVERS TODAY! 6006 North Freeway 7227 West Grand Parkway South 2411 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, Texas 77076 Richmond, Texas 77407 Houston, Texas 77056 WWW.GALLERYFURNITURE.COM PAGE 2 JEWISH HERALD-VOICE AUGUST 31, 2017 HARVEY WREAKS HAVOC Community members evacuated to shelters, hotels By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV evacuate from their Meyerland home on Sunday and were taken to a public shelter. Dozens of Jewish community Fleeing rising water in their home on members have been evacuated to a North Brasewood Boulevard, the Alters makeshift shelter at the George R. Brown sought refuge in their garage and climbed Convention Center in Downtown Houston atop vehicles in search of higher ground. after Hurricane Harvey brought unprece- They waited all afternoon to be picked up dented flooding and devastation to the city by a rescue boat. and its environs. The decision to call for help was Husband and wife Steve Wisch and difficult, the Alters noted. During the 2015 Fern Bryan slept in cots on the floor of Memorial Day Flood, Kevin’s parents, the GRB Sunday night, Aug. 27, after being Shirley and Jack Alter, of blessed memory, PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN BARROW forced to leave their Meyerland neigh- drowned in floodwaters along Brays An airboat was piloted to the front doors of flooded homes in Willow Meadows on Aug. 27 as borhood, due to flooding. Bayou after their rescue boat capsized. volunteers rescued residents and their pets. “This is a real challenge and it’s Kevin and Robin and their children horrible, but there are only two choices,” made it safely to 610 Loop. Many families Wisch told the JHV on Monday afternoon, from Willow Meadows and United Airboat pilot battled Aug. 28. “That’s to let it crush you, or Orthodox Synagogues were taken to the survive.” same location after being rescued from Harvey to save residents Wisch, 66, said he is choosing the latter. flooded homes. After waiting there for The couple woke on Sunday morning to about an hour, the Alters were loaded into By MICHAEL C. DUKE | JHV find floodwaters entering their Meyerland the back of a city dump truck. Another home, which is located on Wigton Drive Jewish family, the Wadlers, was on the An airboat pilot worked with neigh- near 610 Loop. Brays Bayou crested earlier same transport, Robin noted. borhood volunteers to rescue more than 100 that morning. As the truck slowly carved its way to residents in Willow Meadows as Hurricane “We began trying to salvage what we the GRB, passengers held onto each other. Harvey brought widespread flooding and could as the water reached up to our knees “Some people held up tarps over our devastation to the neighborhood near United or higher,” Wisch said. heads to protect everyone from the rain,” Orthodox Synagogues. During a brief lull in the rain, a neighbor Robin said. “There were a lot of people Ken Barrow showed up on his 18-foot- across the street signaled for the couple to with pets, dogs and cats, and away they long airboat Sunday, Aug. 27, at around noon flee to their home, which was on higher took us. after Holly Davies, who is helping to lead ground. Wisch convinced his wife to cross “The conversations along the drive an emergency response team in the neigh- in water deep enough to swim in, he noted. were interesting,” she said. “People borhood, reached out to Barrow’s brother, The neighbors offered them dinner and a were talking about having just gotten a Houston Police officer who has served the dry bed to rest. things back into place from the 2015 or Willow Meadows community. “They couldn’t have been kinder 2016 floods. So, many of us were repeat Soon after the category 4 hurricane neighbors – like a gift from G-d,” Wisch flooders, including us, of course. made landfall on Friday night, Aug. 25, local said. “In a way, that made me feel better, authorities, overwhelmed by the volume of With rain threatening more flooding, because we had a room in our house with emergency calls, urged citizens with small the couple then decided it was necessary things that we hadn’t unpacked yet. That watercraft to aid in rescue operations. to evacuate the neighborhood altogether. seemed to be a predicament others had, Barrow followed GPS coordinates to PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN BARROW At around 7:30 p.m., Wisch and Bryan too,” she said. Davies’ home, where she provided him with a Ken Barrow piloted an airboat that rescued were transported by rescue boat to the Robin added, “Those of us who’ve list of residents who were in desperate need more than 100 residents in Willow Meadows. Kroger parking lot on South Post Oak flooded have to take the perspective that of rescue after floodwaters tore through them. Road. From there, they boarded a large it’s just stuff.” their homes. “They said: ‘Let me help you. I have to go open-air truck, operated by the National Wisch, looking ahead, believes “We went block by block, just trying to to this person’s home – let’s check her house Guard, which eventually delivered the Hurricane Harvey will have a lasting help as many people as we could,” Barrow to see if we can pick her up,’ ” Barrow said. couple and more than 40 other evacuees to impact, geographically, on Houston’s told the JHV the next day. “The neighbors did a lot. All I did was operate the George R. Brown. Jewish community. He and his wife agreed “Everywhere we went, there were the boat. The truck ride, in particular, revealed that they might not be able to live in their residents in single-story houses, especially, “The key to the operation was to have that Hurricane Harvey has caused Meyerland house again.

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