The Canadian Press
HOUSTON–Two Quebec women are among the thousands of people caught up in the flooding in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey–one who can’t leave her home and one who has no idea when she can return home.
Emilie Lapointe lives in the Houston area and, like many others in the city, has been confined to her house since the flooding began Friday.
“I left work Friday at lunchtime, before the flood began, and I have not been out of my house since,” she told the French service of The Canadian Press yesterday.
She said even though her neighbourhood has been spared the flooding, she can’t go to work because the area where her office is located is flooded.
Lapointe also said even if she wanted to go out, it would be impossible to go far.
“All I do is watch TV to watch the news.”
Lapointe said although she still has electricity and supplies of water and food, it’s a “scary” situation.
Fellow Quebecer Marie-Ange Saint-Laurent, who lives on the 27th floor of a Houston condominium building, said she and her American spouse left Houston before the storm for a Louisiana vacation but can’t get back home because the airport is closed.
“Our apartment is OK,” she noted.
“The only problem is that the first floor of the building is flooded and the elevators have stopped working.”
Saint-Laurent, who has lived in Texas for almost three years, said she doesn’t know how long she will have to stay in New Orleans or what the next few days will be like for the people of Houston.
“Each millimetre of falling rain adds additional problems,” she stressed.
“We live from day-to-day and we watch the newscasts.”
