School cancelled Aug. 25 through Sept. 10 as Hurricane Harvey floods Katy
Hundreds of homes damaged, families displaced
Water in Buffalo Bayou reaches the bottom of Highway 99 on Sunday Morning, Aug. 27.
August 27, 2017
Katy ISD announced online the cancellation of all school activities Monday, Aug. 28 through Friday, Sept. 10 after much of the district was flooded or damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
The announcement, according to Katy ISD Communications Department was made “after considerable discussion with local agencies, emergency management officials, and neighboring school districts,” extended the district’s previous cancellation of school only on Monday and Tuesday. School on Friday, Aug. 25 was also cancelled the previous night in anticipation of the storm arriving.
During the closure, temporary shelters for displaced families were set up at Cinco Ranch and Morton Ranch High Schools. School administrators, faculty and employees as well as community volunteers assisted those who sought shelter at the schools.
As the announcements came, students responded with mixed reactions.
“Personally I think school being cancelled for a week was the right choice, but I’m worried about how it’ll affect the amount of work I’ll have when I get back,” senior Ratna Ramaraju said. “Just thinking about my classmates being in trouble makes me really worried though.”
For some students, Hurricane Harvey brought back memories of severe flooding in April, 2016, which similarly halted school activities for a week. The event was dubbed “Spring Break 2.0” by students.
“For Spring Break 2.0 last time, I wasn’t really worried,” senior Diego Velaochega said. “The water level had gone up but no one really worried. This time, there’s no end in sight and me and several of my other friends are actually worried.”
If people are able and willing to assist with rescue, they should call 713-881-3100. If anyone has a family or group that needs help reaching a shelter, call 713-426-9404. Instructions for caring for wildlife affected by the hurricane can be found here.
“Spring Break 2.0,” as it was frequently referred to, took place in April of 2016 when severe flooding shut down school for a week.
