“The city of Houston and surrounding areas have been hit hard,” says John Kreger with the Montgomery County Foodbank in Conroe, TX, just north of Houston. “Gradually, some areas are looking better, but it is still raining and we could probably expect another 10 inches of rain. As of Tuesday morning, Conroe had received just over 31” of rain. We hope for tropical storm Harvey to soon move in the easterly direction.”
Dikes Lake Conroe opened
“On top of the amount of rainfall we’ve had, the dikes from Lake Conroe were opened which added even more water,” said Kreger. Lake Conroe is a collection point and because of all the rainfall in the region, the lake’s elevation got so high officials were worried the dam could break. The decision was made to open the dikes to relieve some of the pressure. A subdivision near the lake was evacuated before the dikes were opened.
“Currently, the water level is still on the rise. For some areas, it will take until Thursday or Friday before it will start coming down. In some areas, there is still lots of uncertainty for people."
One shelter simplifies delivery of supplies
Montgomery County has one shelter which is located at the Lone Star Convention Center in Conroe. One location makes it easier for the delivery of supplies. “We bring food from the Food Bank to the shelter,” said Kreger. Currently, there are about 500 people in the shelter, but Kreger expects this number to go up to 900. In addition to this shelter, the Montgomery County Foodbank also delivers to its regular partner agencies.
Help from produce industry
“It is not easy to get the food to the locations in need,” admitted Kreger, “but trucks are on the way.” Wes Finch with Brother’s Produce called to let Kreger know that he was loading up a truck. “He asked me where I would like the produce to be delivered.” Dante Galeazzi with the Texas International Produce Association also reached out. “He told me to let him know what we need. It’s awesome that the produce industry is willing to help.”
“In general, the effort from people, both private and government, has been unbelievable and heartwarming.”
Contact:
John Kreger
Montgomery County Foodbank
Tel: 936-539-6686