Hope Through Disaster: Living Through Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda

After having her town hit by two major natural disasters in just a little over two years, Baylor sophomore Gillian Beebe described what it was like to be a resident of Fannett at the time. Just trying to enjoy high school, Beebe was thrown off course when Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda struck the Texas coastline and the small town of just 2,142 people.

Beebe first said what happened during Hurricane Harvey, the first of the two disasters, which occurred in 2017.

“It was very detrimental to our town,” Beebe said. “It flooded our entire schools. A boat had to take us from my house to the end of my neighborhood.”

However, Beebe said that there were some positives from Harvey and the hurricane ultimately “brought our community together in a weird way.”

Additionally, Beebe said what it was like living through Tropical Storm Imelda, which occurred in 2019.

Beebe said her family was at home when the flooding occurred in Fannett, and they stayed in their house “for about a week.”

“I definitely feel like [Imelda] made a weird impact on the younger people,” Beebe said. “They didn’t get any education that year.”

Beebe said that damages and lasting effects from both storms are felt “still now.”

“We can’t use our concessions stand,” Beebe said. “A couple buildings don’t have floors.”

Beebe unveiled her plans after she graduates from Baylor which regarded still living on the Texas coastline or not due to the frequent number of hurricanes that devastate the region.

“I think I want to live in Houston,” Beebe said. “I think I’m going to stay.”

“Every other disaster you can’t prepare for,” Beebe said. She said she now knows what she is doing and is confident “beforehand” when a possible hurricane might strike.