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REFUGIO, Texas - People near Corpus Christi are just starting to clean up after Hurricane Harvey.
One of the more immediate concerns right now for the people in Refugio, a small town of about 3,000 people about two hours south of Houston, is water. Many are without drinking water and without power.
Harvey ripped through the town on Friday night, tearing through the neighborhood, blowing out windows and uprooting trees. Nearly every single business, restaurant and gas station is destroyed.
The city put out a mandatory evacuation ahead of Harvey but many people chose to stay. They said by the time they realized they should leave it was too late.
“I just turned the closet into a bunker. I had an ice chest, a flashlight. I handed him a book. I had me some books. We’re going to have to read and just stick it out until it passes,” said Lavena Williams, a Refugio resident.
Rob Nelson said his property is a total loss.
“The roof went and when it went the attic got wet. That soaked the top floor and when the top floor got wet… it just pancaked,” he said.
The storm also left the high school severely damaged. Pieces of that roof now sit in the parking lot across the street.
The community center is serving as a command post for the first responders and emergency crews from across the state. They will be holding a briefing there later Monday morning.
They have also brought in a portable cellphone tower meaning it is one of the only places in the area where residents can get cell service. The parking lot across the street has been full with people trying to call their loved ones to let them know they are okay.
Deputies in Refugio said it could be weeks before the power is turned back on.