Unless you've lived through it, it's hard to imagine the terror of watching flood waters rise higher and higher, with no way out. Which is exactly why this firsthand account is so powerful. A Houston family tried riding out Hurricane Harvey, but soon found themselves trapped.
"Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, the deluge began," Ramit says. "The skies opened, and massive amounts of rain fell. The weather report predicted more, but we went to sleep."
"And then the water just started rushing in through the walls. Within an hour it was at my ankles," she recalls.At first, the family waited things out. They went around, trying to move important items to higher ground as water levels continued to rise.
"Text messages flew between neighbors: It was only 6 a.m. and the water was at the middle of my shin," Ramit says. "A neighbor and colleague from work said he had more than a foot of water inside and was calling for rescue. I decided we could wait a little longer. Surely there were people in greater need."By 7:30 a.m., it became clear they could wait no more. Ramit called 911 and requested an emergency rescue.
"I was still calm. I explained that we were fine for now but need to get out," she says.[/slide]
"As the water rose in our home and we awaited rescue, my two older boys went to lie down: one on the dining room table and the other on his now-floating bed. The higher the water got, the more polluted it looked. There were huge cockroaches crawling from the muck."By 11:30 a.m., the water was more than halfway up the lower kitchen cabinets. Ramit was getting anxious. She called the police, the fire department and the Coast Guard. But no one could tell her when they'd be able to come save the family. It was clear they'd need to take matters into their own hands. The family had already been posting photos of the flooded home on Facebook. But as they sat on the kitchen counters watching the water continue to rise, it was time to ask for help.
"The water outside was over my head and I had to swim," Ramit says. "On the boat were several other families, including two elderly people, a 6-month old baby and two dogs. As we made our way toward the local church that had become a shelter, the boat’s propeller hit the ground and we all got off."There were about 100 people already at the church, which had no power. But it was dry and safe. At 11:30 p.m., Ramit got a call from the fire department. Had they waited, the rescue crews would just now be making their way to the family. There's no telling whether or not they'd still be safe. RELATED: Why it’s important to pray in times of tragedy And as terrifying as the whole ordeal was, Ramit knows she and her family are truly blessed.
"Everything we lost is material. We will rebuild, and our family is whole," she says.Events like this are a startling reminder of just how little control we have. But we can trust the Lord above, the only one who has control, to see us through any trial!