Flooding in Mississippi Causes Houston, Texas Residents to Help

Houston Mayor TurnerScreenshot from Twitter

This past Friday, Houston conducted a water bottle drive for the city of Jackson, Mississippi since the city experienced severe flooding and its water system failed. Houston residents conducted the water drive from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Several organizations such as churches, businesses, relief groups, and nonprofits, donated water on several 18-wheeler trucks to Jackson.

For the past week, local residents have been without clean water which prevents them from drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. The city of 150,000 has been on a boil-water notice for the past month.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said:

"The people in Jackson, Mississippi are really going through a lot with the floodwaters, you know rising very high waters, houses and businesses being underwater, the entire water system being down."

"Houstonians know firsthand what it is like to experience flooding and the need for relief supplies. I ask people to join me Friday in front of Houston City Hall as we collect all sizes of bottled water.

"Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba graduated from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and he is a TSU Tiger and a fellow mayor. We are like one big family, and I hope Houston will show its love and support for the people of Jackson, MS."

Texas University Student Melody Robinson who is from Jackson said:

“It makes me feel good that I chose the right city to go to college in and it makes me feel really good and I’m just so thankful for the Mayor Sylvester Turner and all that he’s doing to try to help the cause."

Mayor Turner said:

"I think Houstonians can identify with what and part with what they are experiencing."

Houston Director of Human Resources Jane E. Cheeks is from Jackson and still has family there. She said:

"My mom is 83 years old and when I said ‘mom, you can just come to Houston, just like most mothers. ‘No, I’m staying in my house.

Cheeks was grateful for the city of Houston.

"Thank you all so much for being here and showing up and helping Jackson Mississippi with this water drive. Every bottle is needed. Every bottle is needed."

Turner said:

"You are Houstonian and you are a reflection of the heart of Houston. We are 640 square miles and we are big geographically, but our hearts, our hearts are much bigger than the size of our city."

The support from Houston is helping out the residents of Jackson.