One Houston woman tried to save her home from Harvey's flood waters using plastic sheeting and 18,000 lbs of sand bags, to no avail.
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In the Meyerland community in Houston, Texas Kristin Massey was hoping to save her home from flooding for the third time in three years.
Massey bought the home in 2015 with the understanding that it hadn't flooded in 60 years. However, that all changed in the Memorial Day flood of that year.
The family had barely completed repairs from the first flood when the Tax Day Floods of 2016 hit Meyerland. This time, with predictions of unprecedented flooding from Harvey, she was determined to save her house.
In the days preceding the hurricane's arrival, Massey had $5,000 worth of sandbags delivered to hold down four feet worth of plastic sheeting, that she taped to her house with gorilla tape.
"It held for about a foot," Massey told KPRC 2. "I don't know that I would have done it again if I had ever known it was that much water."
Massey's options are limited. Her neighbors raised their house five feet, but it's a costly maneuver.
"It's like buying a second house," Massey said. "Same thing with knocking it down and starting over, it's like having a second mortgage."
Massey posted an update to Facebook from her neighbor's house where the family had to evacuate during the flooding. Her neighbor's house sits higher up. You can still see a floating rowboat tied to the stair railing of the home, however.
In the post, she states that her house, despite its extensive protections, got 4.5 feet of water inside. Additionally, 9 feet of water was in the streets.
Massey urged her fellow Texans, "If your home wasn't affected and after the water recedes, I encourage everyone to continue to give manpower wherever they can," she said. "My prayers continue to go out to everyone and the safety of Houston."
