On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the Texas coast as a category 4 storm. Over the following days, Harvey dropped more than 21 trillion gallons of water—an amount equivalent to the water that flows over Niagara Falls in 321 days. Many places around Houston received as much rain in five days as they typically get in one year. Hurricane Harvey has set a new U.S. record for the amount of rain from a single storm: more than 51 inches in one location.

Officials estimate that more than 45,000 homes have been damaged in Texas alone, with many more damaged homes in Louisiana. Thousands of people were rescued from flooded homes and vehicles during the deluge, and many of those are in shelters around Texas. Several storm-related deaths have been confirmed, and the death toll is expected to rise as crews are able to search affected homes and vehicles.

A team of 15 ALERT men left on Tuesday to travel to Victoria, Texas, an area that was heavily damaged by Harvey’s high winds.  The men are helping with clean-up and recovery efforts in the area, sharing the love of Christ as they assist residents. ALERT will continue to be involved with recovery and rebuilding efforts in weeks and months ahead. 

Please pray for all those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Pray for the victims and families as they begin to move forward with rebuilding. Be in prayer, also, for all those involved in rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. Pray that many people would be drawn to Christ during this time.

For more information on ALERT’s participation in Hurricane Harvey recovery and clean-up, or to support their work, visit alertacademy.com.