Five years after Hurricane Harvey, a legacy of perseverance
The bayou’s waters behind their home in Lumberton, Texas, were rising higher than any neighbors could remember, faster than they ever had. It was late August 2017, and the Albritton family – Patrick, Krystal, and their two children – had only been living there three years.
Eventually, Ms. Albritton and a family friend made the decision to leave. Hurricane Harvey’s waters were flooding over nearby U.S. Highway 96; the family was running out of time. But before they left, she doubled back to clean their home’s kitchen. She figured they’d return in a few days. School was starting soon. The kids’ closets were ready; the tags were still on their new clothes.
They thought their home would be safe. It was located in an X flood zone, an area determined in federal guidelines to be outside the 500-year flood risk. For that reason, the Albritton family declined to acquire flood insurance.
