Residents from Houston-area neighborhood go home to assess damage left behind by Harvey

Homeowner plans to rebuild after home destroyed

SPRING, Texas – The Harvey-fueled floodwaters are starting to recede in some Houston-area neighborhoods, and many residents are starting to go home to assess the damage left behind by the storm.

Furniture, carpets and debris line the streets of the Lakes of Cypress Forest Subdivision in Spring, Texas. No one’s home there escaped the wrath of heavy rain and floodwaters, and it’s brought the entire community together to rebuild.

The damage in Richmond Webb’s home is forcing him and his family to start over.

“My neighbors have prepared food, sandwiches, seen if people need bottled water or whatever. It’s just amazing when people come together and work as one, and if we can do that, not only when we have a disaster or catastrophe, man, this would really be something special,” Webb said.

Webb was forced to evacuate his home Monday. He said at the time, there was already 2 feet of water inside his home.

“I could tell the water was getting high because it was coming up over the curb and into the yard. And when we got in here and it just kept raining, water was seeping through the front door and back door,” Webb said,

The 6-foot-6 former NFL star felt helpless as he loaded his wife and daughters onto a raft and they abandoned their home. Despite the destruction, Webb said he feels fortunate.

“I just got a whole different kind of viewpoint. This is material stuff,” he said. “When I see my wife, kids and everybody got out and everybody is alright, I said this stuff is secondary. To lose a family member, I can't replace that.”

Webb isn’t sure when his home will be livable again, but he said he plans to rebuild. His family will stay with relatives until they can go back home.


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