2016 has been a wet year for Houston.
Like everything in Texas, storms are bigger here. When it rains, it storms.
To illustrate, here’s some video of the flooded parking lot in our Austin office from last year’s record-breaking Memorial Day floods:
There has been so much rainfall this year that it could cover the entire state of Texas in 8 inches. Lest you forgot, Texas is a HUGE state.
According to CNN.com, the recent April floods have killed 7 people, flooded 1,000 homes, and caused more than $5 billion in damage. This doesn’t even count the thousands of people who were displaced as a result of the floods, having lost their belongings, their homes, and their cars.
How the Floods Affected HostGator Headquarters
As a Texas-based company with offices in Austin and Houston, HostGator witnessed the devastation of the recent flooding in Houston first hand. While our Houston office was not damaged and the majority of our employees did not experience severe damage, others were affected by the disaster. That April weekend, many of our Houston employees couldn’t make it in to work, let alone out of their homes, so we had long waiting times on support as our Austin office did what they could to address issues as quickly as possible despite being down to 30% of our normal capacity.
Senior Developer Eris Caffee lost her home and car. Since then, she’s been temporarily living with family while she travels on foot to and from her home to salvage her belongings and care for her animals. Development Manager Austin Naremore set up a gofundme campaign to help her get her own place and replace what she lost. In under 14 hours, Eris’s colleagues, friends, and the broader HostGator and Endurance International team rallied to raise $7500, surpassing the initial goal of $5,000.
Ways You Can Help Houston Flood Victims
When disaster strikes, you can help survivors by volunteering or by donating money, supplies, or blood. Here are 4 organizations aiding Houston flood victims:
Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
HostGator Promotion Supports Houston Flooding Victims
HostGator Promotion Supports Houston Flooding VictimsWe have rallied to support those on our team who experienced great loss, and we wanted to extend that support to the Houston community. HostGator is hosting a promotion June 22, 2016, donating $3 for every hosting plan purchased during the promotion to the Houston Food Bank.
You buy, we give – this is a sale you can feel good about! Click here to get 60% off new hosting plans + $5 on select domains while donating to a great cause!
UPDATE! Our promotion has wrapped, and we raised $5,000 for the Houston Food Bank, which equates to 15,000 meals! Thank you to all who participated and helped us provide aid to victims of the flooding.
We’ve been nominated for the Shorty Social Good Awards! Check out our entry page here.
Amelia Willson is a freelance writer and content strategist who helps businesses succeed online. She covers the latest in ecommerce, marketing technology, and health and wellness. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her walking her dog Rockefeller in sunny southern California or blogging about Disneyland. Connect with her on LinkedIn.