Hurricane Harvey, the powerful storm that’s been pummelling Texas with rain for the past few days, has been called “catastrophic,” “unprecedented,” and a “once in a million year event.”
More than 9 trillion gallons of water have been dumped on the city of Houston already, endangering thousands of people and straining the city’s emergency response system so much that people are turning to Twitter to call for help.
But as Houston gets flooded with up to 50 inches of rainfall, turning highways into rivers and homes into pools, stories of heroism are coming from all over, showing that in moments of crisis, people can act with great courage and generosity.
Here are 14 heroic moments from the natural disaster
A man helps children across a flooded street as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27 in Houston, Texas.
Andrew White (L) helps a neighbor down a street after rescuing her from her home in his boat in the upscale River Oaks neighborhood after it was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27 in Houston, Texas.
Brad Matheney offers help to a man in a wheelchair in a flooded street while Hurricane Henry passes through Texas August 26 in Galveston, Texas.
Donna Raney makes her way out of the wreckage of her home as Daisy Graham tells her she will help her out of the window after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the apartment on August 26 in Rockport, Texas.
Volunteers and officers from the neiborhood security patrol help to rescue residents in the upscale River Oaks neighborhood after it was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27 in Houston, Texas.
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) August 28, 2017
Volunteers with boats join rescue op in flooded Houston https://t.co/oucn7luiKQpic.twitter.com/s6lJBG9xLj
— Ivan (@Ivan226622) August 28, 2017
— Ruptly (Ruptly) August 28, 2017
This man is a true hero. 👍🙏❤️✊🏾 #Houston#PrayForHouston#PrayForTexas#HurricaneHarveypic.twitter.com/y1qyO9htqX
— OfficialWilly2.0 (@therealwill17) August 27, 2017
Chief T and I in water with @HCSOTexas team assisting with rescue. He'd been stuck in 8' water since 2am. He was relieved. pic.twitter.com/eQ7pAMrCJx
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) August 27, 2017
A rescue worker carries two dogs to safety after evacuating their family from floodwaters in Houston, Texas. pic.twitter.com/dhoi5P7Ukq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 27, 2017
Rescue crews carry children to safety, including one in a wheelchair, amid catastrophic flooding in Houston, TX https://t.co/JZvofyG0Nppic.twitter.com/HGwdC0PgTb
— ABC News (@ABC) August 27, 2017
Y'all, my mom is just boating around Houston picking people up like it ain't no thang. This woman right here is my hero. pic.twitter.com/FDUqUj8c5a
— Abby Fogarty (@Rock_Hard_Abbbs) August 27, 2017