RICK: WHILE FLORIDIANS ARE DEALING WITH THE CLEANUP FROM IRMA, TEXANS CAN CERTAINLY RELATE. CATEGORY-FOUR HURRICANE HARVEY HIT HOUSTON HARD AT THE END OF AUGUST BEFORE TURNING ON LOUISIANA. THE CITY IN TEXAS IS HOME TO 2.1 MILLION PEOPLE AND THEY ARE STILL CLEANING UP THE DAMAGE.
INCREDIBLY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ITSELF ‘SUNK’ ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH UNDER THE FLOOD WATERS BROUGHT BY HARVEY. THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH OF CHRIS MILLINER, A POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW AT NASA’S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY AT CALTECH.
THE GROUND IS EXPECTED TO BOUNCE BACK, BUT SOME FARMERS ARE CONCERNED THAT THEIR CATTLE MIGHT NOT. NOW THE NATIONAL GUARD IS HELPING TO PICK UP THE PIECES AND, IN SOME CASES, PARCEL OUT THE HAY BALES. REPORTER POOJA LODHIA (POO-JUH LOW-DEE-UH) ROAD ALONG WITH THEM.
POOJA LODHIA : THE HUGE HELICOPTER SHAKES AS WE TAKE OFF, AND SUDDENLY, WE ARE ONE-THOUSAND FEET UP IN THE AIR, FLYING HIGH OVER FLOODED STREETS AND FIELDS.
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER RANDOLPH ROBINSON, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: "THE REQUEST CAME DOWN FROM SOME LOCAL RANCHERS THAT COWS HAD BEEN UNDERWATER FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, STANDING IN WATER, AND OBVIOUSLY NOTHING TO EAT."
POOJA LODHIA : WE LAND JUST SOUTHWEST OF BEAUMONT AND RANCHERS ARE WAITING.
HAY FLIES THROUGH THE AIR AS THEY QUICKLY LOAD UP, AND WE'RE OFF.
BUT THIS IS THE TOUGH PART: WE'RE NOW SCANNING FLOODED AREAS FOR LIVESTOCK.
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER RANDOLPH ROBINSON, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: "IT IS DIFFICULT, BECAUSE NOTHING MAKES COWS SCATTER LIKE A CH 47 HOVERING RIGHT OVERHEAD."
POOJA LODHIA : IT'S STILL TOO EARLY TO CALCULATE HARVEY'S TOTAL IMPACT ON LIVESTOCK, BUT STATE OFFICIALS SAY THERE ARE AT LEAST ONE-POINT-TWO-MILLION COWS THAT GRAZE IN THE AFFECTED COUNTIES.
TX-DOT POSTED THIS VIDEO OF CATTLE GETTING LIFTED TO HIGHER GROUND AS THE RAIN POURED.
DAVE SCOTT, RANCHER: "AS LONG AS THEY'RE UPRIGHT, I'M GOOD."
POOJA LODHIA : DAVE SCOTT IS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.
HE EVACUATED HIS CATTLE BEFORE HARVEY HIT.
DAVE SCOTT, RANCHER: "WE'VE BEEN FEEDING OUT OF A AIRBOAT FOR, LIKE I SAY, A WEEK. STARTING AT DAYLIGHT SOME DAYS, NOW TODAY, WE'RE STARTING A LITTLE LATER."
POOJA LODHIA : FROM HIGH ABOVE THE FLOODING, NATIONAL GUARDSMEN TELL US THEY'VE SEEN SEVERAL DEAD COWS AND HORSES.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE THRILLED, WHEN FINALLY, JUST NORTHWEST OF BEAUMONT, WE SPOT A SMALL HERD?
IT'S GO TIME.
WE WATCH AS CREWS TOSS MORE THAN 100 BALES OF HAY TO THE CATTLE BELOW.
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER RANDOLPH ROBINSON, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: "WE DON'T LIKE THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT'S AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND HELP FELLOW TEXANS."
POOJA LODHIA :...AND TODAY, THAT INCLUDES OUR FOUR-LEGGED TEXANS, TOO.
Instructional Links
Magazine Article: EBSCOhost Middle Search, "HOWLING HURRICANES." Fun For Kidz, Jul/Aug2017 | May need password
Website: Hurricane Hunters Association | Info on planes that fly into storms with cyberflight feature.