Neighbors Helping Neighbors

FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS – With the Rice Ridge Fire bearing down on Seeley Lake and no moisture in sight, Houston, Texas was hit with Hurricane Harvey, flooding 350,000 homes and dumping 53 inches of rain in three days in late August.

After weathering 11 tropical storms in his lifetime, part-time Seeley Lake resident Conrad Jones never expected he would be the one needing help with number 12. Hurricane Harvey forced he, his wife Leslie and son Jack to evacuate their primary residence in Friendswood, Texas, a small community south of Houston.

As the floodwaters filled there Texas home, the evacuation order was posted at their home on the Double Arrow Ranch as the Rice Ridge Fire burned within a couple miles. If it weren't for the benevolence of others and willingness of two local Seeley Lake contractors, he would not be back in his Texas home for another 18 months.

The Jones family purchased a cabin on the Double Arrow three years ago after visiting Seeley Lake on a snowmobile trip. He has been updating and remodeling it ever since with the help of Seeley Lake Independent Contractors Cary Gamache and Jake Livingston.

Local Electrician Justin Loconte recommended Cary and Jake when Conrad was unable to find a painter. Cary's response to Conrad's call was, "I'll be up there in 10 minutes."

"Cary [and Jake] have been working for me ever since. From remodeling the kitchen to hanging chandeliers, they have always been here for me," said Conrad. "Their work is incredible."

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Just after 2 a.m. Conrad's neighbor Jude, who lived a block and a half away, called him. Clear Creek, the nearest water source, was overflowing its banks. The Jones' property had never flooded before so Jude packed up his family and was going to stay with the Joneses. When Conrad and Jude went back to get another vehicle, the water was already up to the mailbox.

"That is how fast the water was rising," said Conrad. "We couldn't get to the vehicles so we turned around. We went back to my house and told Jude's wife to stop [unloading the vehicle]. I told Leslie to drop what she was doing, pack a bag and we are getting out of here."

Within 10 minutes, water was already in the street at the curb. Water was half way up the driveway when they were all loaded and Conrad took a chance and drove out with water half way up the tires.

The communities around Houston were notified of the storm and evacuation shelters were established. Because the storm hit in the middle of the night, many people were trapped.

There was an assisted living home five blocks from the Jones' home with 80 residents. By the time rescuers got to them, the water was up to the seats of their wheelchairs.

"That was massive to get those people over to the high school," said Conrad.

After four days of being flooded out of their home, Conrad and his son Jake returned with their neighbors. They couldn't quite get into their house but were able to get Jude's fishing boat. Jude, his son and Jack started going house to house and helped 39 people escape. Some people had their attic ladders down and were sitting on the ladder.

Conrad waited on the high ground with a vehicle and shuttled people to the nearest shelter.

"We called it Houston Navy," said Conrad. "The youngest was four-months-old, the oldest was 92."

Because Friendswood is so close to Galveston Bay, their neighborhood flooded three times with the incoming tide. Conrad could see three distinct watermarks on his privacy fence. The Joneses had three feet of water in their house. Everything that was on the floor was destroyed.

Since the power was out, the meat at the local stores was spoiling. The barbecue teams, sponsored by many of the stores, were putting the meat on ice, cooking the meat for the shelters. Conrad estimated 127 cooking teams did this throughout the Houston area.

"We ate good," said Conrad.

Everyone stayed in place because even though the freeways were open, the roads to access the freeways were flooded.

"This was the first storm that I wasn't immediately helping somebody. It took twelve [storms] to get me," said Conrad. "It is humbling when someone comes up and says I want to do this for you and you have to bite your lip and say thank you. I had never been in that situation before. I've always been the giver and the helper."

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Conrad contacted a contractor friend in Houston.

"He told me it was going to take me at least a year to 18 months to get back in my home," said Conrad. "I said no it's not."

Conrad knew Cary and Jake had been out of work for a while in Seeley Lake because of the fire. They were both evacuated from their homes.

"When you work for yourself you just don't get the money as fast," said Cary. "We didn't make anything but we didn't really lose it."

Conrad called them to see if they would be willing to come to Texas to do a complete rebuild of his home.

"He called us and asked if we wanted to be a part of it," said Jake who had been watching the devastation in Texas. "We were more than happy to."

"It's all for Conrad and Leslie. They are both fantastic people," said Cary. "It would be hard to ever tell them we wouldn't help you or wouldn't want to help you get back into your place. It's fun just to be able to do the work to help them."

Conrad flew Cary and Jake down to Texas to do a full assessment.

"If the fires burn through, you lose everything," said Cary. "When Conrad flew me down here nine weeks later they were still looking at all their memories in their yard until it's all cleaned up."

They agreed to take the job. After returning to Seeley Lake, they loaded their gear in Conrad's truck and drove three days to Texas.

"I know good and darn well that they would have done it for free but I wouldn't let it be that way. We are not rich but they are going to make a nice check," said Conrad.

Cary and Jake had both worked out of town in the past and have worked on jobs with water damage.

"What is different about this is the magnitude and how many people got hit," said Jake. "Everybody is on the rebuild down here."

The Joneses' friends Buddy and Pam from north Texas offered them their camper to use while they were displaced.

"Buddy came driving up in this 28-foot Sportsman camper. There were still tags hanging on it. It was brand new," said Conrad who said they bought it just to help them out. "That is were Jake and Cary are at now."

Conrad works with Jake and Cary as much as he can.

"I don't have to tell Cary a darn thing. He knows what to do, how to do it and I have complete faith and trust in both of those guys. Seeley Lake is fortunate to have them," said Conrad.

While there is no shortage of building materials there is also no shortage of bugs and humidity. That has been the biggest challenges for Cary and Jake.

"I didn't know humidity would drain me this bad. Some of the days it is 80 degrees and 97 percent humidity. By five o'clock you are done, you are laying down. I guess it is no different than 10 below [zero] but I think I would rather do the 10 below," said Cary and laughed.

After living more than two months in a hotel room, the Jones family will soon be able to move back into their pool house. They hope to be back into their main house by mid-January.

"FEMA has been over the top with the help and assistance from the federal side. The state and local governments have been phenomenal on what they can do," said Conrad. "The people and their giving has been the story on the entire devastation from Rockport to Lake Charles, La. which is 120 miles away that were all affected with floods. That would include the people of Seeley Lake helping down in Houston."