At the end of August and beginning of September, devastating rains and winds hit Texas and other parts of the southern United States. Its name became Harvey, and it was labeled the nation’s first major hurricane landfall since 2005, when Hurricane Wilma struck Florida. Billions of dollars in damage occurred, and it destroyed many homes, natural landscapes, vehicles, buildings, and even took the lives of several innocent people and animals.

Now comes Irma. Earlier this week, this second catastrophic hurricane hit the Caribbean. Power outages swept the nearby islands, and again, numerous buildings and areas were devastated. And now it’s headed our way, aimed first at Florida.

We can all mourn for the losses that these two tropical storms have caused, and fear for what they may still bring, but there are ways that we can help too.

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund was formed out of the Greater Houston Community Foundation by Mayor Sylvester Turner and County Judge Ed Emmett. They are collecting and distributing tax-deductible flood relief donations for the victims.

https://ghcf.org/hurricane-relief/

The SPCA of Texas, or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is accepting food and supplies to send to the affected areas in order to help the animals there. They are also sheltering pets for families that were evacuated.

https://www.spca.org/hurricane-harvey

The American Red Cross appreciates donations to help their efforts in assistance of the hurricane victims, as well as in preparing for what is yet to come.

http://www.redcross.org/

There are numerous other organizations, local, online, and national, that are providing aid and relief to those affected by these two major hurricanes. These victims—people and animals alike—need all the help and support that they can get right now.

References:

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-storm-harvey-forecast-texas-louisiana-arkansas

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/irma-florida-coverage.html?mcubz=0&_r=0