A Surrey family stranded in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey is trying to make the best of a bad situation, preparing food for fellow guests in their abandoned Houston hotel.
The family travelled to Galveston, Texas to embark on a Caribbean cruise, which was cancelled when the storm made it impossible for ships to make port.
“The sea turned dark, the waves definitely picked up wind and then by noon the wind really started to blow and then we knew we were in for it,” father Danny said.
They eventually made their way to Houston where they hoped to catch a flight home.
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On the drive to Houston, their mobile phones buzzed with storm warnings and they could see tornadoes forming around them.
“It was really cool but really worrying because you don’t know if a tornado is just going to form right where you are,” daughter Gina said.
After checking into the hotel, Hurricane Harvey flooded the city.
“We went to bed about midnight to the high winds and the rain,” Danny said. “We woke to my rental car underwater, the parking lot flooded and everyone was stranded.”
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Most of the hotel’s staff fled the area, leaving 50 or so guests to fend for themselves.
Father Danny has taken over the kitchen, cooking up meals for his fellow guests with mother Sonia acting as a server.
“Two meals a day only, not off the menu, you get what you get,” Danny says.
Danny said he has spoken to the Canadian consulate in Texas. He and his family have been offered help which they’ve declined for the moment.
– With files from Geoff Hastings