Hurricane Harvey: Disaster in Texas and Beyond

Gr 3–6—Hurricane Harvey, which hit the Gulf Coast in August 2017, was one of the most costly storms in U.S. weather history. With winds above 130 miles per hour, devastating floods and surges destroyed thousands of homes and displaced people and animals. This work traces the origins of Hurricane Harvey and the destruction it caused over the many days it lingered over the Houston area. Special attention is paid to the heroic efforts of rescue workers and citizen volunteers to save lives under harrowing conditions. Although climate change is mentioned as a contributing factor in Hurricane Harvey's extreme violence, there is too little exploration of this very vital subject. Brief mention is made of other historic storms of the past as well as Hurricane Irma's impact on Florida and that of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico. The ongoing hardship of the Puerto Rican people and the failure of the U.S. government to mitigate that disaster is not touched upon. Photographs of devastated areas and of people affected as well as charts and maps are included.