“We told my three-year-old son that it was a rain party, bought cupcakes, because it was my husband’s birthday, and ushered in the rain party,” Mrs. Schroeder, head of college counseling, says as she recalls the moment she told her son about the storm. When Hurricane Harvey arrived at the Texas border around 4:30 a.m. Friday morning on August the 25th, it was not a rain party, it was a category 4 Hurricane. People in different cities across the state, and even in certain parts of the Woodlands were told to leave their houses and seek shelter elsewhere. No one could have anticipated the magnitude of this storm, causing $125 billion dollars in damage, 88 recorded deaths, and a record rainfall of 60 inches.

Although, it has been a year since the storm, Harvey continues to play an active role in its victims’ lives, especially in regards to the damage in its wake. “I saw it and I left because I didn’t like seeing everything,” Caitie Blank, a junior, states, remembering how it felt to see her house underwater. Her family was significantly affected by Harvey, having to leave their residence for eight months, a place that they had called home for thirteen years. Caitie’s mother, Mrs. Audrey Blank, a beloved member of the faculty, reflected on the assistance Cooper provided during this difficult time, “The Cooper community was so helpful. We were out of our house for eight months; we just came back home, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our friends and family.”

Hurricane Harvey took no mercy, destroying everything in its path, but the one thing that was unwavering was the hope in a return to normalcy. This hope was seen in the faces of all the volunteers that helped, some even faces that were familiar: faculty members and Cooper students lending a helping-hand whether it be tearing out drywall or donating needed supplies. Current librarian Mrs. Pamela Hill recounts witnessing this assistance when volunteering herself, “ I think that it was the spirit of, well, Houston Strong, everyone helping out amidst all that disaster.

All in all, Harvey was devastating, but it allowed everyone affected to see the kindness that is housed in the hearts of members in our community. Mrs. Susan Mathis responded with similar sentiments, “It just made me appreciate this community. You know everyone was very giving and kind, and very helpful, and I think that is the way we are all the time. We don’t need a hurricane to show it.”