After Hurricane Harvey

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Gulf Coast region, wrecking homes, destroying lives and inflicting damage to the tune of nearly $200 billion. It was one of the most costly hurricanes in history. In Houston, where we recently completed our Indigo Street project, the meandering tropical storm dropped 40 inches of rain over the course of a few days and produced catastrophic flooding.

The Indigo Street project is one that is near and dear to our hearts. It features a divided floor plan, with two master suites and was built to accommodate Steve's sister Linda Wauson and their mother Evelyn Wauson. The original structure, Linda's home of 25 years, was demolished two years ago when Linda enlisted the help of Craftsman Homes of Austin to build a new home designed for mother and daughter to share.

Houston now requires that all new homes are elevated to sit above the floodplain. At the time, a major hurricane had not made landfall in Texas for nearly a decade. As it turned out, the project was finished at just the right time. The Indigo home survived the hurricane without any interior damage and Linda was able to offer a comfortable place of refuge to many longtime neighbors whose homes were filled with water.

One of the problems faced by Houston residents was a shortage of reputable contractors to meet the high demand for repairing and rebuilding damaged homes. Although working in Houston is challenging for the Austin-based builder, Steve Wauson is not one to turn down a challenge — or an opportunity to help his sister's friends and neighbors rebuild their lives. Steve was profoundly affected by the devastation of Houston in general, and his sister’s neighbors in particular. These folks had become Steve’s friends as well during the construction of Linda’s house.  As soon as the roads were passable, Steve headed to Houston with a crew do begin demolition and reconstruction for seven of Linda's neighbors. That work is now nearing completion. Folks are getting back into their homes, or those who stayed in their homes are getting their lives back to normal. Now, after spending much of the last three years in Houston, we are ready to get back to working exclusively in our home area.