WEST VALLEY – Several semi-trucks filled with lumber and other supplies are on their way from Utah to Texas to help people rebuild from Hurricane Harvey.
Supplies like food, water and hygiene kits have already been sent down to Houston and Rockport, but, volunteers like Mike Collier say now it’s time to rebuild. He’s from Texas, and he says the need for rebuilding supplies is greater in Rockport than in Houston. “Houston still has houses standing. They just got flooded. Some of the houses sustained a lot of wall damage and a lot of flood damage. The people down [in Rockport] lost their houses. Everything,” he says.
The supplies were donated by a coalition of religious groups and charitable organizations. “We got a list from three different cities and hardware stores down there of supplies they could not get,” says Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Deputy National Director Joava Good.
Good says Hurricane Harvey either destroyed or seriously damaged over 80 percent of homes and businesses in that city. “Rockport, and Aransas County, was ground zero for the hurricane. The hurricane sat down on that area and for 35 minutes and had a blast.” She says there are still firehouses without roofs, and first responders have no choice but to stay inside them.
The trucks hauling plywood, drywall, nails and other construction materials started in the parking lot of The Maverik Center, and will drive 11 hours today and another 11 tomorrow. They plan on buying three more trucks filled with a certain type of pine when they arrive in Texas.
