Man rescued from Harvey's floods by helicopter looks back at the storm that hit Houston

Tom Abrahams Image
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Man rescued from Harvey's floods by helicopter looks back
IN RECOVERY: Six months after Harvey, Jeremiah Richard says he still has his faith, and that God is restoring what was lost.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was six months ago that Braes Bayou was out of its banks. Harvey flooded so much of Meyerland and the surrounding area.

Among those who were rescued from the their homes was a man so many of you told us touched your hearts. On Monday night, we caught up with him six months after the storm.

His name is Jeremiah Richard. He considers himself blessed despite living in a one-bedroom apartment with his wife Sabrina and their two boys.

The family lost nearly everything they had during Harvey.

"A lot of people lost more than we did," he said. "We've been staying there, piecing back together what we lost "

'We thank God': Family paying it forward after Hurricane Harvey fame

FAITHFULLY OPTIMISTIC: Jeremiah Richard and his family are recovering after being evacuated from their home via helicopter.

You may remember Jeremiah the day Harvey forced his family from the Meyerland home. Eyewitness News met him on the 610 South Loop in the seconds after a helicopter delivered him to the pavement.

"We thank God," he said at the time on live television. "We thank God."

That sentiment in the face of adversity touched countless people. A GoFundMe account raised $60,000. Jeremiah says it helped his family and others.

"We got ourselves our vehicles back. We got clothes and things," he said. "And we also helped out other families and donated back to our church. We didn't need all of that money. So we could open our hearts and open our hands and say, 'Here you go,' without question."

Six months later and the rain still sometimes has his boys asking questions about rising water. There are, as he told us, ups and downs, and yet he still has his faith that better days lie ahead.

"The city bounced back," he said smiling. "We're bouncing back."