The following photos were taken during and in the aftermath of both Hurricane Harvey and Irma. While it is absolutely true that our fellow countrymen suffered an enormous amount of loss, these stories have proven that nothing can ever deter the spirit of kindness.
These stories will make you sad, happy and scared at the same time. Some of them will give you a warm feeling all over. Savor everything and let it touch you in an inspirational way.
21. ‘He Felt Relief and Comfort’
Twitter.Com
Cathy Pham and her 13-month old son: Aidan Pham, became the face of the Hurricane Harvey incident after they were miraculously rescued by a SWAT team officer: Daryl Hudeck.
She sought refuge in a makeshift loft, but soon realized that the water levels were chest deep. You can see Aidan sleeping peacefully in the embrace of his mother’s arms. Clearly he has no clue about what’s happening.
Meanwhile, Couple Shocked by a Tennessee Restaurant Manager’s Kindness
Tallahassee.Com
Call it a chance encounter or fate, but Deanna Feist and her husband decided to extend their stay in Tenessee to avoid the onslaught of storm back in Florida. The couple headed for lunch at the Old Mill Restaurant, where the friendly manager treated them to a warm meal.
As Deanna and her husband were about to leave after the lunch, they were told by the manager that it was on the house. Also, this kind hearted man snuck in a note with $200 as a gift to help them get their car fixed. It turns out that the manager’s brother was stuck in Florida, but he wanted to do his bit to save or help those who were lucky enough to evacuate on time.
20. All He Wanted Was a Pair of Socks!
Usa Today
Sometimes happiness can be found in small places during the direst of circumstances. 29 year-old Ellis lost his job two months ago before the Hurricane shook up everything. He was living under a bridge with whatever was left of his possessions. When Ellis arrived at the George R. Brown Convention Center, he was wearing a worn out thin pair of socks. Call it fate or mere luck – despite of a short supply of clothing line, Red Cross worker: Tina Jamieson somehow got Ellis a pair of low cut socks. He was thrilled to see them. “I’m so happy. This is so much better,” said Ellis.
Celebrities Join Hands to Demonstrate Courage and Support
Telegraph.Co.Uk
Actress Kristen Bell was few of the unlucky ones who couldnt make it out of Florida in time. However, she didn’t let adversity stop her. Bell not only organized a separate hotel room for the parents of her Frozen movie co-star: Josh Gad, but also went to a few rescue shelters to entertain the evacuees.
19. Hold My Beer: ‘Anheuser Busch’ Sends Aid to Rescue Shelters
Chron.Com
One of the most popular beer companies partakes in sending fresh water supply to victims of Harvey. However, these water reserves came beautifully packed in beer cans. Talk about lifting up spirits in the midst of an ongoing crisis.
Leaving No Family Member Behind
Chron.Com
At its peak, both Hurricane Harvey and Irma caused a flurry of panic among local people and neighboring vicinities. A lot of personal possessions, livestock and pets were left at the mercy of nature. However, volunteer rescuers saved our furry friends who’d have otherwise been a silent victim of the disaster.
Wait, it gets better. The next image will melt your heart rightaway!
18. Kids’ Letter About Hurricane Harvey Goes Viral
Msn News
Waco Police Department Sergeant receives an innocent, yet uplifting letter from his son and daughter. He shared the images with the locals. Eventually, the letter got viral all over the media and the internet.
The contents of the letter said, “Dear Daddy, I hope you don’t get hurt, but I hope you help other people that need it more than you do. I hope no one gets hurt more. I hope everyone gets away the hurricane. I love you.”
Signed by: Scott and MaKenna
17. Tired But Still Going On
Dallasnews.Com
Officer Mark Koenig and Chad Shaw of the Harris County Fire Department are busy coordinating rescue operations. One can clearly see they are exhausted, but showing no signs of giving up on their efforts to save people’s lives during Hurricane Harvey disaster.
Dallasnews.Com
In this related image, the deputy is lying down to take a quick nap on the floor. He constantly worked for more than 12 hours and further went on to rescue Irma and Harvey victims during night time high water operations. By the end of his “shift”, he couldn’t stand anymore
16. Rescuing Old People As a Sign of Respect
Dallasnews.Com
The members of Louisiana National Guard made it a priority to help the elderlies first. A lot of old people were left abandoned during the panic situation, but thanks to the actions of some young volunteers, the number of injuries and casualties was kept to a bare minimum.
Dallasnews.Com
In this above related photograph, 92 year old Paulina Tamirano was transferred to a safe location after she was evacuated from the Savannah Estates neighborhood. She initially had no idea about what was going on. If it weren’t for the search and rescue teams, she may have not reached the rescue shelter.
15. Kids Will Always Be Kids
Washingtonpost.Com
3 year old Lane Curtis is busy playing with food carts, sliding down between aisles inside one of the Hurricane Harvey donation centers.Lane Curtis’s father is an active duty officer in Dallas Police Association, one of the main departments responsible for organizing and overseeing rescue operations.
14. Food Is The Universal Language!
Dailymail.Co.Uk
Under normal circumstances, people are distraught from one another. They merely speak or socialize, but Harvey incident stood witness to the hospitality that Texas folks are commonly known for. This image captivates the exact moment when volunteers joined hands to cook food and feed thousands of recently homeless families on end.
13. Hold On Tight, Son
Dailybreeze.Com
Members of the Texas National Guard were busy with State wide operations. As seen in one of the images above, a soldier merrily lifts the boy up and said, “Hold on tight, Son.” Find out what happens when 7 people team up to save a flooded vehicle in the next breathtaking image.
12. How about 14 Helping Hands at the Same Time?
Dallasnews.Com
A lot of successful animal, bird and human rescue efforts during Hurricane Harvey days were the result of volunteer work. These 7 brave men pushed a flooded pickup truck all across the street to a safe location.
11. A Heartwarming Family Reunion
GloverGardens.Com
Valere Garza, sister of MJ. Torres was stranded apart from the rest of the family when the Hurricane struck the area. Despite of losing complete contact with one another, they miraculously reunited on Aug. 28 – thanks to the untiring efforts of people at the local police station.
10. Resilient Reporter Continues to Demonstrate Courage While Her Station Flooded
GloverGardens.Com
During heavy downpour, the local station was completely flooded. While rest of the crew members left to attend to their families and loved ones, reporter: Brandi Smith and her loyal cameraman stayed on the spot. They continued to warn people of the disaster and even managed to save a few lives. This is courage at its finest!
Find out what happens when a father is united with his infant daughter in the aftermath of the Hurricane Harvey in the next image…
9. Father and Infant Daughter Manage to Keep Each Other Company
Dailymail.Co.Uk
Darnyl Thomas is seen playing with his daughter to help distract each other. Sometimes, you can witness signs of life and happiness during the most morbid circumstances. Both Darnyl and his daughter showed that no matter what life throws at you, you can still make your loved ones, and people around you smile.
8. Mother and Daughter Rescued by Local Residents
Dallasnews.Com
Shardea Harrison, mother of 3-week old baby Sarai Harrison, are rescued by their neighbor from their home. A lot of people were transferred to safe locations as a result of these gentlemen and their airboat.
7. Volunteer to Spread Smiles
Imgur.Com
Volunteers Jay Garcia and Aaron Crump managed to spread smiles while they were busy rescuing people in Dickinson, Texas neighborhood. These rescuers showed no signs of fatigue. In fact they cracked a few jokes to not only make people laugh but keep the spirits alive for as long as possible.
6. People Comforting People
Imgur.Com
“We got to be strong,” said Genice Gipson to her lifelong neighbor and friend outside of the Loretta Capistran apartment building complex. A lot of individuals helped each other by saying words of encouragement, kindness and love to one another.
All is not lost yet! The next image is guaranteed to make you smile. Find out why by going to the next page…
5. Batman Begins
Dallasnews.Com
A father and son are dressed up as famous superheroes as they hand out donations to people at the Red Cross shelter at George Brown Convention Venter. The evacuees couldn’t be more pleased to see these two working their way across hundreds of people all day long.
4. Hero of Harvey – Billy Hutson Hailed as a Savior
Billy Hutson was hailed as a local hero after he managed to make repeated trips from the rescue centers and exit zones leading to safe areas.
Usatoday.Com
He not only saved a handful of evacuees, but also rescued animals, tortoise and the famous Texas Longhorn cattle breed.
Usatoday.Com
In this related image, Hutson is seen hauling a Texas longhorn across a flooded street. The animal is completely calm and comfortable in Billy Hutson’s company.
3. Wings of Rescue Co-Pilot Sets a New Example
Dallasnews.Com
Co-Pilot Jose G. Martinez was initially assigned to air duty but he still managed to perform a lot of ground work. In this image he is grinning as he rescues a dog by the end of his shift.
Dallasnews.Com
Martinez also rescued a deer from drowning. The poor animal was covered in a blanket to keep it warm and secure. The co-pilot left the deer in the capable arms of local volunteers as he piloted his way across to other unreachable locations.
2. Ordinary People and Citizens Join Hands
Hurricane Harvey may be over but through valor and conviction, these people have proven that societies can rebuild. A lot of ordinary people demonstrated extra ordinary capabilities during those days.
Chron.Com
1. 9 Year Old Alabama Boy Surprises Hurricane Irma Evacuee
Al.Com
While parked in a line in front of Chick-fil-A, Landon Routzong, a 9 year old Alabama boy suddenly jumped out of his mom’s car and took her debit card with him. Apparently, Landon noticed that the black Acura parked in front of them had a Florida flag on it. The boy introduced himself to the stranger and offered to pay for his meal. Landon’s mother was shocked by her son’s initiative.
Al.Com
It turns out that the person that Landon wanted to pay for was in fact an evacuee on his way to Birmingham. He walked over to Landon’s mother and thanked her for raising a good son.