Army Veteran Alvinea Randolph was born and raised in Houston, Texas, predominantly living in the northeast side. She has experienced many storms affecting Houston, including Alison and Harvey.
When heard about the impending storm Harvey, her home was pre-prepared in case she needed to leave with her mother who was on dialysis. The storm would bring unprecedented flooding into her home, leading Randolph, her mother, and her children to have to be rescued from their home. The group was taken to a local middle school, where Randolpb claims there was inadequate volunteer measures. Upon returning to her home the family had issues rebuilding and receiving money from FEMA.
Interviewee: Alvinea Randolph
Interview Date: October 29, 2019
Interview Location: Lyons Unity Missionary Baptist Church
Interviewer: Samantha de Leon
INTERVIEWER: Today is October 29, 2019. I’m Samantha de Leon, and I’m here with Alvinea to talk about Hurricane Harvey for the U of H Center for Public History’s Resilient Houston: Documenting Hurricane Harvey project.
SDL: To start, can you please state your name and tell me a little bit about yourself?
AR: My name is Alvinea Randolph. I am a retired Army veteran. And I’ve been living in Houston for 45 years.
SDL: Wow, a very long time. Okay, thank you. So when and where were you born? And where did you grow up primarily?
AR: I was born in Houston, Texas — born at Jeff Davis Hospital. And I predominantly lived on the northeast side of town.
SDL: And how long have you lived there? You lived there your entire life?
AR: Yes, yes.
SDL: And then did you have any experience with any other storms or natural disasters before Hurricane Harvey?
AR: Yes, Hurricane Allison [sic, 0:00:59] in 2001 [0:01:00]. And I was actually getting ready to go to the military.
SDL: Really?
AR: So it affected me not so much mentally, because we only had power outage. It wasn’t flooding where I was or anything like that. So just to even have to go get gas, I had to go way on the other side of town, because everything was out in the area.
SDL: What was your first impression about Harvey when you heard the storm was coming?
AR: My first impression, where I lived at now, “Oh, it doesn’t flood back here. I’ve been back here 20-something years. It doesn’t, you know, do anything.” But by me being a soldier, I had already planned my home and proofed it and made sure water and all that stuff was in there. [Unclear, 0:01:54].
UNKNOWN 1: [Unclear, 0:01:53]
SDL: It’s good. It’s really, really good.
AR: If you give me 10 minutes [0:02:00] and finish this, I’ll —
UNKNOWN 1: [Unclear, 0:02:05] cash. And then I think Miles and somebody bought a — you know, something. [Unclear, 0:02:11].
AR: Okay.
UNKNOWN 1: [Unclear, 0:02:12] $12.
AR: Okay, yeah, it was sixty-six, yeah.
UNKNOWN 1: Okay.
SDL: So when you heard all about the storm, did you really think it was going to be anything really big?
AR: No.
SDL: Not at all?
AR: No, I didn’t — like I say, I pre-prepared. But hey, it’s not going to be that much of an impact.
SDL: How did you specifically prepare for Harvey? Did you go to the store? Did you take time off of work?
AR: Well, I already had stuff. And I’m retired, so I don’t work. And my mom, at the time, was living with me. So my concern was just making sure – because she was on dialysis – that after whatever happened, we’d be able to get her to dialysis or whatever. Because that whole week, you know, it was iffy. But when that Friday came, it just rained and rained. And I was like, “Okay, hopefully [0:03:00], it’ll stop raining.” But other than that, like I said, I pre-prepared, pre-packed, had my stuff in trash bags waiting by the door in case we had to leave.
SDL: Did you feel that a lot of people in your neighborhood were also preparing as well?
AR: Like me, we just was waiting. It was just a waiting game, because it hadn’t — I’ve been out there for a long time. Some of them have lived in that area, but we just didn’t think that it would do what it did.
SDL: So can you describe any memorable moments from Harvey? Is there anything that sticks out to you during the storm?
AR: The red — the helicopters and the — just the look of people faces once we saw how much water was outside my door. It was like, “We got to get up out of here.” Because I wasn’t going anywhere. Then I was like, “I got to get my mama out of here. I got to get my son out of here.”
SDL: Did you do that rescue effort to get out of your house?
AR: Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, we —
SDL: Can you describe how that happened?
AR: Trying to — and once you are inundated with [0:04:00] — a lot of people are stranded. You know, the phone lines were busy. And it just was — it was chaos. And I don’t think the City of Houston was prepared. Even though they got the volunteers, the volunteers don’t live here. So they don’t know where to go. They don’t know where to take you once you get rescued. Where do we go? Where we going? They don’t know Walmart is down the street around the corner on this side. I don’t know. Get another one. So they just didn’t know. That was my only biggest problem. We out — I welcome the help, but the help — they should have been organized and put in areas to know, “Hey, if you go to northeast side, their rally point is the grocery store right here.” That should have been done in the neighborhood. I said get another one.
SDL: So when you were rescued, someone in a boat and came and got you and your family?
AR: Yes, me and my mother, yeah.
SDL: So after you were in the boat, there was an issue of where you guys were going to go next?
AR: Where to go, because once they brought us to the front of my subdivision — because my whole street was up to here [0:05:00]. Now, we stuck, because how we getting out of here? Then it’s a truck pass by. Well, we — she — I said, “My mama can’t climb up there. She’s elderly. She’s a dialysis patient.” So it as just — it was crazy.
SDL: Where did they end up taking you after?
AR: To Walmart and then to North Shore Middle School, where they brought everybody who need to be evacuated out.
SDL: When you were at North Shore Middle School, did you feel that at least the volunteers there were prepared?
AR: No.
SDL: Not at all?
AR: Nothing was prepared, because you had everybody cramped up. My mother couldn’t be in the gym. It was too much noise. So I made my pallet outside. It was another elderly lady on a mattress — a special mattress. And I had to help her daughter turn her over. It wasn’t a lot of help. And some of the volunteers, I feel, need to be CPR-certified or medically — as a volunteer to be in those facilities. Because you never know who might need an IV or anything. So no, it wasn’t.
SDL: And how [0:06:00] long were you there at the middle school?
AR: We got there that evening, so that morning, we was — I was trying to get out of there. Because my mother, at that time, needed dialysis. And it was already four days without it.
SDL: Oh, my goodness.
AR: Yeah, yeah.
SDL: And after that, going out and getting your mother the dialysis, did you have any issues traveling at all?
AR: No, well, one of the coaches that my son plays baseball with, they came and got us from the shelter. The other coach came and got my son. He was like, “I need to get him out of here.” I said, “Yeah, take him.” So I needed to get my mother to dialysis, so the other coach — the dialysis was open. So we got there, and he was like, “What you going to do?” I said, “We’ll just go back to the center.” He was like, “No, you coming home with us.” So we went on with them. And then after four or five days, I was like, “I want to go home.” So by the time they took us home, the water had already receded. And I was able to get in my house.
SDL: How bad was the damage in your neighborhood and in your home?
AR: A lot of — it’s like [0:07:00] it skipped certain houses. I had carpet in the bedrooms. And the water was in the bedroom, so I just got that carpet and everything out. And we bought me some more same day, because I had to make sure my mother had an adequate place to sleep and be okay.
SDL: So all the damage to your home and the repairs, how long did that take approximately?
AR: Oh, just a day or two. I cleaned everything out — took the furniture out and stuff. And that was it. I pretty much replaced everything that I lost. And you know — because I want to still be able to live a normal setting, yeah.
SDL: And did you apply for any type of assistance at all?
AR: I applied for the FEMA. They gave us the $400. And then that was it. When FEMA did come, they denied me. And everything was sitting there. I mean, my thing is just replace what I spent. Because my deductible was too high for me to put a claim on it. And I don’t have $4,800 to pay, you know, which I could have gotten it done. But I just felt [0:08:00] like that was a, you know, waste of time.
SDL: Right. And when FEMA came, was their visit long? Was it sincere? Did they ask a lot of questions?
AR: No, he didn’t ask no questions. He came, walked around, and that was it. “You’ll get a letter.” That was it. “You’ll get email.” And the email came right then and there. As soon as he sent it electronically, denied. So I just feel some of them wasn’t equipped to know how to inspect. And you could see the water damage on the carpets. It’s outside, and then it took them a minute to come. So you still got rain, or you got the stuff drying out. I mean, just say, “Where your receipts at?” And here they go. I didn’t ask for $10,000. I just asked for — my total was like $800 to just replace what I spent.
SDL: And you only got half of that?
AR: I didn’t get — yeah, yeah, yeah.
SDL: And did you feel that you got any assistance, other than FEMA, from Sylvester Turner or any other parts of Houston?
AR: No, I pretty much — because, like I said, I’m a soldier. I pretty much [0:09:00] let the people who needed it get it. And I just — because I get a check. I’m retired. I’m okay. So I didn’t go stand in no line and do all of it.
SDL: For other people in your neighborhood, do you know if they had similar instances with FEMA as well?
AR: Yeah. Some of them did, and they just — one man just gutted out his house and went to work. He wasn’t waiting on FEMA, so yeah. I don’t know what their outcome was with them, but I know they denied me.
SDL: So did you feel that Sylvester Turner and the rest of Houston was adequately prepared for Hurricane Harvey?
AR: No, I don’t think so.
SDL: You don’t think so?
AR: I don’t think they were prepared for the volunteers. Other than that, you can’t really prepare for a storm. You can have things in place, but that doesn’t mean that it is what you need at the time, you know.
SDL: And do you think that your neighborhood got [0:10:00] enough recognition for all of the damage that happened or anything?
AR: No. And I stay in a subdivision that is nicer than where I grew up. And they didn’t recognize. They didn’t know. They didn’t send no help out there. But it was sad, because you could highlight Kingwood, and The Woodlands, Meyerland Plaza, but you didn’t do anything for the — from here all the way that way. You didn’t do anything.
SDL: Knowing that, for the next storm that comes, such as Imelda, do you feel that the City of Houston did anything different this time? Or do you feel it was the exact same way during Harvey?
AR: No, they was able to do something different, because you had new people sitting in those seats. So yeah, for whatever they did, it probably would have been better than what they had done in the past.
SDL: If another storm does occur and the damage does happen in your neighborhood, do you think you will get the same response from FEMA and from the City of Houston?
AR: That I can’t say [0:11:00], because until it happens, it’s either claim is good or denied. So I don’t know. I don’t hate FEMA, but I feel that you do a lot of waste — they do a lot of wasteful issuing out money, because I shouldn’t have to go through red tape. This is where I live. I shouldn’t have to prove to you — I understand. Here go my driver’s license. This is where I live, so it’s just a lot. They don’t — their resources — they supposed to be for the people, but I think they waste a lot of the money that needs to be given out. Just like the money that they still got sitting that was granted to the City of Houston. You only did two homes. I mean, that’s ridiculous to me. And if you don’t have the adequate people in there to do what needs to be done, then you need to switch. You need to switch.
UNKNOWN 2: [Unclear, 0:11:52]. How are you?
SDL: Hi, I’m Samantha. Nice to meet you.
UNKNOWN 2: Nice to meet you, too. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.
AR: Okay, baby.
SDL: And how do you feel [0:12:00] that other people can help out communities like yours who didn’t get any attention and didn’t receive much help?
AR: By speaking out and doing what you’re doing, because the only way you going to get — have a voice — you have to document, which is great. And you know, put it out there. I mean, whatever resources out there, I always try to tell people, “This way you need to go.” And then people have to want to get it for themselves. I mean, don’t have a pity-patty party. You know, get up and go do what you got to do. If you got to spend your own money, then that’s what you have to do. That’s part of life, so.
SDL: If there’s one thing people could know about the storm, what would you want them to know?
AR: Huh?
SDL: If there was one thing people could know about the storm, what would you want them to know about it?
AR: Always be prepared. By me being in the military, my mind is already like that. So they just have to know, when it’s coming, just make sure you’ll be able to get out. Make sure you have something in place to move around.
SDL: And for the city of Houston, you believe that for them to be better to have prepared volunteers [0:13:00]?
AR: Yes.
SDL: And CPR set up?
AR: Yes.
SDL: Anything else they could possibly do to make this environment better?
AR: Just have a plan. Have a plan. Have a plan for the next time. And it might be small. It might be medium. It might be large. Just have a plan in place. And practice that plan. Just because you wrote down on paper, have you did a run-through? Did you do a mock? Did you see what’s — “Hey, let’s run this. Oh, well, that ain’t right.” That way you’ll know the keeps, because we can write something down all day. But if we’re never going to implement it — we can do a trial run, and let’s implement it, you know.
SDL: So I just want to be thorough. FEMA only gave you and your family $400?
AR: Yes.
SDL: And didn’t really help many people in your neighborhood?
AR: No.
SDL: Were there any other projects done to your neighborhood, such as repainting, reconstruction of any houses of any kind?
AR: No.
SDL: Nothing?
AR: No, because we have new homes. My home is like six years old [0:14:00], so.
SDL: So you think that possibly because there are new homes in the area that the neighborhood was —
AR: Yeah, my structure’s still good, yeah.
SDL: How did your family, friends, and community handle Harvey?
AR: Some people still got stuff going on — still needing work done on they homes — still trying to find — so anything that I hear, I pass it on, so they can, you know, get something.
SDL: Do you think that all of these people from Harvey will find help eventually?
AR: I mean, either they do it themselves or — I mean, I don’t sit around and wait too much on anybody.
SDL: Of course.
AR: But some people don’t. They just like to sit and beg from the government. I’m not begging. I do what I got to do.
SDL: Knowing what has happened from Harvey and from Imelda, do you think the next storm that your community is going to be [0:15:00] better prepared? Or do you think it’s the same or worse?
AR: Yeah, I believe so. I believe so, because they saw first-hand. Wow, so yeah.
SDL: Looking back on it now, is there anything differently that you would have done?
AR: No.
SDL: No?
AR: No.
SDL: No, okay. Is there anything else that you’d like to add that we haven’t discussed?
AR: No, I just want to say, Samantha, you’re doing a great job.
SDL: Thank you so much.
AR: And I appreciate this documentary. I believe it will help further, you know, in the future.
SDL: Awesome. Well, if you don’t have anything else, that’s all I have for you. I really, really appreciate this.
AR: Alright, thank you. Give me a hug.
SDL: Of course. Thank you.
AR: Thank you.
SDL: Doesn’t your mama look so pretty on screen? Yeah, there we go. You’re such a good boy. My son better call me pretty when I have kids. So it will go ahead and be on there hopefully by the end of the year. I’ve got your contact information. I will definitely let you know myself.
AR: Oh, yeah, just let me know.
SDL: On there, so — but I can also send you an email [unclear, 0:15:57]. Like you said, you know, it’s so important that we tell these [0:16:00] stories, because my sister lives in Kingwood. That place got so much coverage. And I can’t tell you how much I didn’t hear anything about Third Ward, the Fifth Ward, the Fourth Ward — you know, anything about all the — or anything bad. And it’s got me very angry. And it’s made me look [unclear, 0:16:17], especially because of — I could see how effective he is. I saw the way he transformed the town when the Super Bowl came.
AR: Yeah, yeah.
SDL: And then literally the same year, Hurricane Harvey comes in [unclear, 0:16:29] blindsided, so.
AR: Thank you so much, Samantha.
SDL: Of course. No, your stories are going to help so many people. And hopefully, someone important, like Sylvester Turner, will hear your stories and, you know, realize there is so much more that needs to be done. Oh, so sorry.
UNKNOWN 3: Yes, ma’am. Thank you so much.
AR: Thank you, boo.
SDL: Thank you. [0:16:50]
1