Corpus Christi, Texas, is starting the work to "thank God, to get back to normality," but it and other port cities are devastated in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Rep. Blake Farenthold said Monday.
"Down here in Corpus Christi where the brunt of the storm hit with the wind . . . some of our area cities like Port Aransas and Rockport are devastated," the Texas Republican, whose district covers the Corpus Christi area, told CNN's "New Day" program. "We have areas who have no water, no power, no grocery store, no drugstore, no place to go. We're counting on FEMA to get in with food and water relief and the Red Cross to provide shelters."
The area hit is huge, though, he pointed out, as it is a "solid four-hour drive" between Corpus Christi to Houston, which is being ravaged by massive flooding.
"In Houston with the rain, that's where the big effort is focused now," Farenthold said. "We're starting in Corpus Christi, thank God, to get back to normality. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Houston. I've grown up on the Texas gulf coast and have never seen a storm like this with such wide ranging effect. Usually these hurricanes blow through and are gone in a day, maybe two. This one is a gift that keeps on giving in the worst possible way."
He asked that people who want to help work with the American Red Cross or other relief agencies.
"Our church groups down here are mobilizing as we're getting a little more back to normal here in Corpus Christi," the congressman said. "We're sending water and food up to Rockport and some of the areas that are much more harder hit than Corpus Christi. These communities that were devastated were a stone's throw, bedroom communities for Corpus Christi or right across the bay, Port Aransas, a fishing town where many folks lived and had second homes. The National Guard is not even letting folks in to Port Aransas, the devastation is so great."
President Donald Trump will visit South Texas on Tuesday, and Farenthold told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Monday that Corpus Christi will be able to handle the visit.
"The president's team has indicated they don't want to get in the way, but the president wants to get a look firsthand at what's going on down there," said Farenthold.
Texans are a "resilient bunch," Farenthold told Fox News, and its people are helping each other.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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