<!DOCTYPE html><html amp=""><head><meta charset="utf-8"><title>In Houston, a Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey</title><meta name="description" content="Tasneem Raja on efforts by the Cajun Navy, a flotilla of boaters from Louisiana who have been performing rescues during Hurricane Harvey in Houston."><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey"><link rel="icon" href="https://www.newyorker.com/favicon.ico"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1"><script type="application/ld+json">{
  "@context": "http://schema.org",
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "The New Yorker",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://www.newyorker.com/amp/brand-logo.png",
      "height": 60,
      "width": 258
    }
  },
  "headline": "In Houston, a Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey",
  "description": "Tasneem Raja on efforts by the Cajun Navy, a flotilla of boaters from Louisiana who have been performing rescues during Hurricane Harvey in Houston.",
  "datePublished": "2017-08-28T03:30:08.335Z",
  "dateModified": "2017-08-28T21:57:17.336Z",
  "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey",
  "image": {
    "@type": "ImageObject",
    "url": "https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/pass/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg",
    "height": 3648,
    "width": 5472
  },
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Tasneem Raja"
  },
  "@type": "NewsArticle"
}</script><meta property="fb:app_id" content="1147169538698836"><meta property="fb:pages" content="9258148868"><meta property="twitter:site" content="@NewYorker"><meta property="twitter:domain" content="www.newyorker.com"><meta property="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"><meta property="twitter:title" content="A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey"><meta property="twitter:description" content="As the sun set on Sunday, it was impossible to know how many Texans trapped by flooding had been rescued, and how many remained in danger."><meta property="twitter:image:src" content="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/pass/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg"><meta property="og:type" content="website"><meta property="og:title" itemprop="name" content="In Houston, a Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey"><meta property="og:url" content="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey"><meta property="og:description" itemprop="description" content="Tasneem Raja on efforts by the Cajun Navy, a flotilla of boaters from Louisiana who have been performing rescues during Hurricane Harvey in Houston."><meta property="og:image" content="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/pass/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg"><style amp-boilerplate="">body{-webkit-animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both;-moz-animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both;-ms-animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both;animation:-amp-start 8s steps(1,end) 0s 1 normal both}@-webkit-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@-moz-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@-ms-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@-o-keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}@keyframes -amp-start{from{visibility:hidden}to{visibility:visible}}</style><noscript><style amp-boilerplate="">body{-webkit-animation:none;-moz-animation:none;-ms-animation:none;animation:none}</style></noscript><style amp-custom="">a,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,em,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,object,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,var,video{margin:0;padding:0;border:0;font-size:100%;vertical-align:baseline}article,aside,details,figcaption,figure,footer,header,hgroup,menu,nav,section{display:block}body{line-height:1}blockquote,q{quotes:none}blockquote:after,blockquote:before,q:after,q:before{content:"";content:none}table{border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0}body{font-size:16px}a{color:#4285f4;text-decoration:none}a:active,a:focus{text-decoration:underline}h1{font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;margin:.75em 0 .6em}h1,p{line-height:1.33em}blockquote,figure,ol,p,ul{margin:1.33em 0}.entity,.title-bar,footer{padding:16px 10px}.title-bar{border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;margin:0}.title-bar svg{display:block;margin:0 auto}.entity{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0 auto;max-width:600px;overflow-wrap:break-word;word-wrap:break-word}.kicker .rubric[data-source=channel],.kicker .rubric[data-source=subChannel]{display:none}blockquote{padding:16px}blockquote p{font-size:15px;line-height:1.66em;margin:0;padding:0;text-indent:1em}blockquote p:last-child{margin-bottom:0}amp-iframe{margin-bottom:16px}amp-iframe[data-param-cne-playlist=true]{padding-bottom:190px}amp-iframe,amp-instagram,amp-vine,amp-youtube{background:#f3f6f8}amp-iframe.outbrain{background:none}amp-carousel,figure{margin:0 auto 1.33em}amp-pinterest .-amp-pinterest-embed-pin-image{display:block;margin:0 auto}amp-carousel,figure.clip,figure.cne,figure.cnevideo,figure.image{clear:both;margin-left:-16px;margin-right:-16px}figure amp-anim,figure amp-img,figure amp-video{background-color:#f3f6f8;margin:0 auto;text-align:center}figure:focus{outline:none}figure.fluid-size-img amp-img{background-color:transparent}figure.fluid-size-img img{min-width:inherit;width:auto}figcaption{border-bottom:1px solid #eee;color:#333;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:.75em;padding:10px 16px;text-align:left}figcaption h1{color:#000;font-size:inherit;margin:0}figcaption p{margin:.5em 0}figcaption .credit{color:#666;display:block;font-family:sans-serif;text-align:left}figcaption .counter{display:none}figcaption .total:before{content:"/"}.embedded-gallery{border-top:1px solid #ccc;margin:32px 0}.embedded-gallery header h1{font-size:1em;line-height:1.33em}amp-carousel>div[style]{width:100%}amp-carousel figure{height:100%;margin:0;position:relative;width:100%}amp-carousel figure amp-ad{left:50%;position:absolute;top:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%)}amp-carousel figure figcaption{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,.6);border:0;bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;color:#eee;display:none;font-size:smaller;left:0;max-height:100%;overflow-y:auto;position:absolute;right:0}amp-carousel figure figcaption h1{color:#fff;font-weight:700}amp-carousel figure figcaption .credit{color:#ababab;font-size:.7em}amp-carousel figure:focus figcaption{display:block}amp-carousel amp-img{height:100%}amp-carousel amp-img img{object-fit:contain}amp-soundcloud,amp-twitter,amp-vimeo,amp-vine,amp-youtube{margin-bottom:20px}.social-sharing{line-height:0;margin:1.5em auto}amp-social-share{background-position:50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px}amp-social-share[type=email]{background-color:#999;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,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");background-size:60% 60%}amp-social-share[type=facebook]{background-color:#3b5998;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,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");background-size:34%}amp-social-share[type=twitter]{background-color:#2ba9e1;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,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");background-size:60% 60%}amp-social-share[type=pinterest]{background-color:#bd081c;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,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");background-size:45%}amp-social-share[type=whatsapp]{background-color:#00a716;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;base64,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");background-position:-3px 9px;background-size:90%}.ad{text-align:center}amp-ad{border:0;display:block}amp-ad .multi-size{width:320px}header{text-align:center}header h2{font-size:1em;line-height:1.33em;margin:1em 0}header .rubric{display:block;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:10px;margin:1.5em 0}header .byline,header .op-published{display:inline-block;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:.75em}header .op-published{color:#666}header .byline+.op-published:before{content:"|";padding-left:5px;padding-right:5px}header .byline{color:#000;line-height:17px}header .byline:before{color:#999;content:"By "}header .byline address{display:inline-block;font-style:normal}header .byline address a,header .byline address a:active,header .byline address a:focus,header .byline address a:hover{color:#000}header .byline address+address:before{content:", "}header .byline address.contributor-editor{display:none}header figure{margin-top:1.5em}.branded-byline-container{font-family:sans-serif;margin-top:20px;text-align:center}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-logo figure{display:inline-block;margin:0;padding-left:10px;vertical-align:middle}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-logo figure amp-img{max-width:100%}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-sponsor,.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-text{font-size:12px;line-height:1em}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-text{text-transform:uppercase}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-sponsor{border-right:1px solid;display:inline-block;padding-right:10px;vertical-align:middle}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-sponsor+.branded-byline-logo figure{max-height:40px;max-width:200px}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-sponsor+.branded-byline-logo figure amp-img{background-color:#fff}.branded-byline-container .branded-byline-sponsor+.branded-byline-logo figure img{margin:0;max-height:40px;max-width:200px;min-width:0;width:auto}.related-video{margin:0 auto;max-width:600px}.related-content h1{font-size:1.25em;text-align:center}.related-content .related-link{display:inline-block;margin:5px 0;max-width:100%;vertical-align:top;width:300px}.related-content .related-link figure{margin:0}.inline-embed.review a:before{content:"\2190"}.inline-embed.venue a:before{content:"\1F4CD"}.article-embed .kicker{display:none}.back-cover .social-sharing{margin:0;text-align:center}footer,footer small{text-align:center}footer small{border-top:1px solid #ccc;display:block;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:.75em;padding:10px 16px}button[type=submit],input[type=text]{border:1px solid #ccc;font-size:1rem;padding:.3em .5em}.subscription-form--hed{font-family:sans-serif;font-size:1.25rem;font-weight:200;line-height:1.4;margin-bottom:.5em}.subscription-form{border-top:1px solid #ccc;font-family:sans-serif;margin:2em 0;padding-top:2em;white-space:nowrap}.subscription-form .privacy-policy{color:#999;font-size:.8em;margin-top:0;text-align:center}.subscription-form form{align-items:baseline;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap}.subscription-form label{flex:1}.subscription-form label span{border:0;clip:rect(0 0 0 0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}.subscription-form button,.subscription-form input{box-sizing:border-box;font-size:12px;height:36px;padding:.5em 1em}.subscription-form input[type=text]{background-color:#e6e6e6;border:0;color:#000;display:block;font-weight:700;margin:0 0 1em;width:100%}.subscription-form input[type=text]::placeholder{color:currentColor}.subscription-form button[type=submit]{background-color:#000;color:#fff;display:block;margin:0 0 1em;padding:0 1.5em}.subscription-form [submit-success=true]{width:100%}.subscription-form [submit-error=true]{color:red;width:100%}.paywall-notif{font-family:Helvetica,Calibri,Arial,clean,sans-serif;font-size:18px;margin:50px 15px;text-align:center}.paywall-notif-link{padding:16px 0;text-decoration:underline}.paywall-notif-link a{cursor:pointer}.paywall-fixed{bottom:0;left:10px;margin:0 auto;max-width:440px;padding:0;position:fixed;right:10px;top:auto;z-index:1}.paywall-fixed a{cursor:pointer}.paywall-growler{background-color:#f5f4f3;border-radius:6px 6px 0 0;box-shadow:0 2px 8px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.15);color:#000;display:block;font-family:Helvetica,Calibri,Arial,clean,sans-serif;font-size:16px;height:220px;padding:0;text-align:center}.paywall-btn-dismiss{background-color:#000;border-radius:12px;color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-size:24px;height:24px;line-height:23px;margin:6px 6px 10px 10px;position:absolute;right:0;top:0;width:24px}.paywall-btn-box{border:2px solid #fff;margin:auto 4px;padding:5px 8px 4px}.paywall-btn-box,.paywall-btn-line{color:#fff;font-size:12px;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:1px;text-transform:uppercase}.paywall-btn-line{border-bottom:2px solid #fff;padding:6px 0 0}.paywall-message-title{background-color:#fff;border-bottom:1px solid #d3d3d3;border-radius:6px 6px 0 0;color:#000;font-size:12px;font-weight:500;line-height:36px;text-align:center}.paywall-message-main{font-size:18px;height:60px;line-height:1.5em;margin:16px 14px 0;position:relative;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle}.paywall-message-main a,.paywall-message-main a:visited{color:#000;text-decoration:none}.paywall-message-main span{display:block;margin-bottom:4px}.paywall-message-main span small{font-size:14px}.paywall-message-main span.colored{color:#09c}.paywall-growler-footer{background-color:#f5f4f3;border-top:1px solid #d3d3d3;bottom:0;color:#000;font-size:14px;height:45px;line-height:42px;position:absolute;text-align:right;width:100%}.paywall-growler-footer a{color:#000;margin-right:15px}.paywall-growler-sign-in{display:inline-block;padding-left:5px}.paywall-growler-sign-in a{color:#000;text-decoration:underline}@media (max-width:320px){.paywall-message-title{font-size:12px;text-align:left;text-indent:12px}.paywall-message-main{font-size:20px;line-height:26px;margin-top:24px}.paywall-message-main span small{font-size:14px}}@font-face{font-family:Neutra Face;font-style:normal;src:url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/NeutrafaceNewYorker-SemiBold.woff2) format("woff2"),url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/NeutrafaceNewYorker-SemiBold.woff) format("woff")}@font-face{font-family:Irvin Text;src:url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Text.woff2) format("woff2"),url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Text.woff) format("woff"),url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Text.ttf) format("truetype")}@font-face{font-family:Irvin Heading;src:url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Heading.woff2) format("woff2"),url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Heading.woff) format("woff"),url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Heading.ttf) format("truetype"),url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/Irvin-Heading.otf) format("opentype")}body,html{height:100%;width:100%}html{-webkit-box-sizing:border-box;box-sizing:border-box;overflow-x:hidden;width:100vw}*,:after,:before{-webkit-box-sizing:inherit;box-sizing:inherit}a,div,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,p,span,time{-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;text-rendering:geometricPrecision}a{color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit}a:hover{text-decoration:underline}.small{font-variant:small-caps;text-transform:lowercase}.small,.underline{font-style:inherit}.underline{margin-left:1px;text-shadow:0 1px 0 #fff,0 2px 0 #fff,0 -1px 0 #fff,0 -2px 0 #fff,-1px 1px 0 #fff,-1px 2px 0 #fff,1px 1px 0 #fff,1px 2px 0 #fff,-1px 0 0 #fff,0 -3px 0 #fff;background:-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#fff),to(#fff)),-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#fff),to(#fff)),-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#000),to(#000));background:linear-gradient(#fff,#fff),linear-gradient(#fff,#fff),linear-gradient(#000,#000);background-position:0 87%,100% 87%,0 97%;background-repeat:no-repeat,no-repeat,repeat-x;background-size:.05em 1px,.05em 1px,1px 1px;position:relative;z-index:0}.underline,.underline:hover{text-decoration:none}.hangingindent{margin-left:-10px;text-indent:10px;font-style:inherit}.indent1{text-indent:1em}.indent1,.indent2{display:inline-block;font-style:inherit}.indent2{text-indent:2em}.indent3{text-indent:3em}.indent3,.indent4{display:inline-block;font-style:inherit}.indent4{text-indent:4em}.indent5{text-indent:5em}.indent5,.indent6{display:inline-block;font-style:inherit}.indent6{text-indent:6em}.indent7{text-indent:7em}.indent7,.indent8{display:inline-block;font-style:inherit}.indent8{text-indent:8em}.indent9{text-indent:9em}.indent9,.indent10{display:inline-block;font-style:inherit}.indent10{text-indent:10em}.italic{font-style:italic}header .op-published{color:#444;font-family:Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:500;padding-left:12px;text-align:left}header .op-published:before{display:none}h1,h2{min-height:1px;padding-left:20px;padding-right:20px;position:relative;-webkit-box-flex:0;-ms-flex:0 0 100%;flex:0 0 100%;max-width:100%;width:100%;margin-bottom:20px;text-align:center}h1{margin-top:20px}header .byline{display:inline-block}.article{margin:0 8px}.article p ::-moz-selection{background:#b2d7fe;text-decoration:underline;text-shadow:none}.article p ::selection{background:#b2d7fe;text-decoration:underline;text-shadow:none}.article p blockquote{margin:13px auto;width:240px}.article p hr{border:0;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;display:block;height:1px;margin:20px 0 13px;padding:0;width:100%}.article p .clip-embed-component video{max-width:100%}.article p a{margin-left:1px;text-shadow:0 1px 0 #fff,0 2px 0 #fff,0 -1px 0 #fff,0 -2px 0 #fff,-1px 1px 0 #fff,-1px 2px 0 #fff,1px 1px 0 #fff,1px 2px 0 #fff,-1px 0 0 #fff,0 -3px 0 #fff;background:-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#fff),to(#fff)),-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#fff),to(#fff)),-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#000),to(#000));background:linear-gradient(#fff,#fff),linear-gradient(#fff,#fff),linear-gradient(#000,#000);background-position:0 87%,100% 87%,0 97%;background-repeat:no-repeat,no-repeat,repeat-x;background-size:.05em 1px,.05em 1px,1px 1px;position:relative;z-index:0}.article p a,.article p a:hover,.link{text-decoration:none}.link{margin-left:1px;text-shadow:0 1px 0 #fff,0 2px 0 #fff,0 -1px 0 #fff,0 -2px 0 #fff,-1px 1px 0 #fff,-1px 2px 0 #fff,1px 1px 0 #fff,1px 2px 0 #fff,-1px 0 0 #fff,0 -3px 0 #fff;background:-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#fff),to(#fff)),-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#fff),to(#fff)),-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#000),to(#000));background:linear-gradient(#fff,#fff),linear-gradient(#fff,#fff),linear-gradient(#000,#000);background-position:0 87%,100% 87%,0 97%;background-repeat:no-repeat,no-repeat,repeat-x;background-size:.05em 1px,.05em 1px,1px 1px;position:relative;z-index:0}.link:hover{text-decoration:none}.h3{font-weight:400}.ol,.ul{padding-left:25px}section>p:first-child{margin-top:0}section>p:first-child:first-letter{display:block;float:left;line-height:.5;margin-right:5px;margin-top:-2px}.feature-large{left:50%;margin-left:-50vw;position:relative;width:100vw}.feature-large .groupCaption{padding-left:20px}.feature-large img,.feature-medium img{width:100%}.feature-small{position:relative}.feature-small img{width:100%}.group-2>*,.group-3>*,.group-4>*{margin-bottom:20px}.align-left{text-align:left}.align-center{text-align:center}.align-right{text-align:right}.inline-ad,figcaption h1{display:none}figcaption{border:0}.caption{margin-right:3px}.caption>div,.caption p{display:inline-block}.caption p{margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0}.credit{display:inline-block;margin-top:5px}section>p:first-child:first-letter{color:#000;font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:54px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;line-height:1}.h2,h1{color:inherit;font-family:Irvin Heading,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:32px;font-weight:400;line-height:1.12}.h2{font-size:20px;line-height:1.3}.related-content h1{font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:24px;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5}.related-link p{color:#000;font-family:Irvin Heading,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:28px;line-height:1.18}h2{font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:20px;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:1.2}.h4,h2{color:#000}.h4{font-family:Neutra Face,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-weight:300;line-height:1.24}.h3{color:#000;font-family:Irvin Text,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.43}.article p{font-size:18px;line-height:1.45}.article p,.caption{color:#000;font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif}.caption{font-size:17px;font-style:italic;line-height:1.18}.article p blockquote,.ol,.ul{color:#000;font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.53}header .byline,header .byline:before{color:inherit;font-family:Neutra Face,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;font-weight:300;line-height:1.2}.credit{color:#bbb;font-family:Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.18}.related-link .rubric{color:#db3334;font-family:Irvin Text,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:11px;line-height:1.45}.article p sub,.article p sup{font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:11px;line-height:2.73}.related-content h1{border-bottom:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;margin:0 0 20px;padding:18px 0 14px;text-align:center;font-family:Irvin Text,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:14px;text-transform:uppercase}.related-content .related-link{margin-bottom:30px}.related-content .related-link figure{margin-bottom:20px}.related-link .rubric{font-weight:400;margin:0 0 12px}.related-link p{font-weight:400;margin:0 0 10px}.image{margin-bottom:16px}.title-bar{-webkit-box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.1);box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.1)}.social-sharing .amp-social-share-twitter{background:url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/icon-twitter-black.svg) no-repeat 50%;display:inline-block;height:30px;margin-right:8px;width:30px}.social-sharing .amp-social-share-facebook{background:url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/icon-facebook-black.svg) no-repeat 50%;display:inline-block;height:30px;margin-right:8px;width:30px}.social-sharing .amp-social-share-pinterest,.social-sharing .amp-social-share-whatsapp{display:none}.social-sharing .amp-social-share-email{background:url(/the-new-yorker/amp/assets/icon-email-black.svg) no-repeat 50%;display:inline-block;height:30px;margin-right:8px;width:30px}</style><script id="amp-access" type="application/json">{
  "authorization": "https://www.newyorker.com/amp/authorization?X-Id=59a3802b349dd46ec7f231ba&X-Type=article&X-Access=n&articleId=59a3802b349dd46ec7f231ba&rid=READER_ID&url=CANONICAL_URL",
  "pingback": "https://www.newyorker.com/amp/pingback?X-Id=59a3802b349dd46ec7f231ba&X-Type=article&X-Access=n&articleId=59a3802b349dd46ec7f231ba&rid=READER_ID&url=CANONICAL_URL",
  "login": {
    "subscribe": "https://www.newyorker.com/go/googleamp",
    "signin": "https://www.newyorker.com/amp/login?returnurl=RETURN_URL",
    "forgotpassword": "https://www.newyorker.com/amp/forgot-password"
  },
  "authorizationFallbackResponse": {
    "error": false,
    "result": "ALLOW_ACCESS"
  }
}</script><script async custom-element="amp-access" src="https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0/amp-access-0.1.js"></script><script async src="https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0.js"></script><script async custom-element="amp-social-share" src="https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0/amp-social-share-0.1.js"></script><script async custom-element="amp-ad" src="https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0/amp-ad-0.1.js"></script><script async custom-template="amp-mustache" src="https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0/amp-mustache-0.1.js"></script><script async custom-element="amp-analytics" src="https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0/amp-analytics-0.1.js"></script></head><body class="template-standard"><div class="title-bar"><a aria-label="The New Yorker logo" href="https://www.newyorker.com/?intcid=inline_amp"><svg width="129" height="30" viewbox="0 0 129 30" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill="none"><path fill="#121212" d="M1.173 11.163H3.34l9.194 11.535V11.163h1.416V29.12L2.56 14.647v14.247H1.117m15.26-17.73h6.563l.925 2.055s-1.1-1.09-3.15-1.09h-1.59v6.25h2.66c1.357 0 1.56-.15 2.08-.66v2.62s-.578-.89-2.08-.89h-2.66v8.22h3.7c3.583 0 5.433-1.485 5.433-1.485l-1.33 2.682H16.35l.03-17.73zm91.143 0h7.283l.925 2.055s-1.04-1.09-3.295-1.09h-2.4v6.25h2.892c1.07 0 1.387-.09 1.792-.49V20s-.29-.628-1.792-.628h-2.89v8.307h1.762c3.15 0 4.394-.94 4.394-.94l-1.59 2.14h-7.08V11.16zm-82.846 0h2.775l5.98 12.99 1.24-2.713-4.57-10.27h2.63l3.32 6.94 3.18-6.93h1.36L36.8 20l1.936 4.17 5.815-12.99h1.59l-7.98 17.87-2.77-5.8-2.69 5.826M71.15 10.54c6.187 0 9.945 4.31 9.945 9.11 0 6.165-3.384 10.076-9.8 10.076-6.42 0-10.234-4.763-10.234-9.53 0-5.368 4.05-9.65 10.09-9.65zm-7.43 9.25c0 4.17 2.373 8.71 7.75 8.71 4.97 0 6.937-4.027 6.937-8.595 0-3.654-2.512-8.31-7.4-8.31-3.38 0-7.282 2.658-7.282 8.196zm19.486-8.62h4.22c2.224 0 4.074 1.254 4.074 3.624 0 2.77-2.05 3.48-3.47 3.94 2.546.424 3.5 1.623 3.5 5.02s.867 4.626 1.648 4.626c.608 0 1.07-.4 1.244-.657l.347.23c-.12.17-.81 1.256-2.46 1.256s-2.89-1.49-2.89-5.03c0-5.08-1.39-5.2-2.52-5.2v-.37c.02 0 2.37-.52 2.37-3.37 0-2.69-1.65-3.118-2.32-3.118h-1.21v16.79h-2.6l.06-17.76zm34.14 0h4.22c2.222 0 4.072 1.254 4.072 3.624 0 2.77-2.053 3.48-3.47 3.94 2.544.424 3.498 1.623 3.498 5.02s.868 4.626 1.65 4.626c.61 0 1.07-.4 1.244-.657l.347.23c-.115.17-.81 1.256-2.456 1.256s-2.89-1.49-2.89-5.03c0-5.08-1.38-5.2-2.51-5.2v-.37c.03 0 2.37-.52 2.37-3.37 0-2.69-1.64-3.118-2.31-3.118h-1.21v16.79h-2.6l.06-17.76zM103.24 23.7c0 3.396.865 4.624 1.65 4.624.603 0 1.065-.4 1.24-.654l.346.23c-.12.17-.81 1.254-2.46 1.254s-2.89-1.485-2.89-5.025v-.72c0-2.11-.12-3.74-.466-4.8-.29-.83-1.33-1.46-1.762-1.46h-.55v11.71h-2.6l.03-17.76h2.572v5.225l4.712-5.22h1.676l-4.97 5.51c2.544.43 3.44 2.312 3.44 6.366v.714h.03zM62.654.142h1.358V3.34h3.122V.143h1.36v7.423h-1.36V3.91h-3.122v3.656h-1.358m8.41-7.423h3.47l.434 1.085S74.28.714 73.7.714h-1.273v2.598h1.127c.636 0 .81-.286.81-.286v1.2s-.203-.343-.81-.343h-1.127v3.14h1.59c1.214 0 1.705-.628 1.705-.628l-.607 1.2H71.04V.142h.028zm-12.862.57h.723c1.127 0 2.023.8 2.023.8L60.55.17h-6.13l-.406 1.343s.896-.8 2.023-.8h.723v6.853h1.416V.714h.03z"/><path fill="#000" d="M57.367 28.893v-9.165l5-8.565H60.75L55.98 19.3l-4.74-8.137h-1.62l5 8.565v9.165"/></g></svg></a></div><div class="entity model-article"><header><h1>A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey</h1><div class="byline"><address class="contributor-author"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/tasneem-raja?intcid=inline_amp" title="Tasneem Raja is a journalist based in East Texas.">Tasneem Raja</a></address></div><time class="op-published" datetime="2017-08-28T03:30:08.335Z">August 27, 2017 11:30 PM</time><div class="social-sharing"><amp-social-share type="email" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="email" aria-label="Email Share"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="facebook" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="facebook" data-param-app_id="1147169538698836" data-param-text="A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey" data-param-href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey" aria-label="Facebook Share"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="twitter" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="twitter" aria-label="Tweet"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="pinterest" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="pinterest" data-description="A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey" aria-label="Pin"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="whatsapp" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="whatsapp" data-share-endpoint="whatsapp://send" data-param-text="Check out this article: TITLE - CANONICAL_URL" aria-label="Whatsapp Share"></amp-social-share></div><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_5472,h_3648,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg" srcset="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_1800,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg 1800w,https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_1200,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg 1200w,https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_900,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg 900w,https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_600,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg 600w,https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_450,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg 450w,https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a3869dc460b94268a283af/master/w_300,c_limit/raja-hurricane-harvey-houston-boat-rescue.jpg 300w" sizes="(min-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" width="5472" height="3648" alt="Rescuers with Houston residents evacuated from their flooded homes during Tropical Storm Harvey." attribution="Photograph by David J. Phillip / AP" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption><h1 class="title">Houston-Hurrica</h1><div class="caption">Rescuers with Houston residents evacuated from their flooded homes during Tropical Storm Harvey.</div><cite class="credit">Photograph by David J. Phillip / AP</cite></figcaption></figure></header><div><div amp-access="result = &apos;ALLOW_ACCESS&apos;"><div class="article"><section><section><p>Last August, when a freak
storm unexpectedly dumped three times more water on Louisiana than did
Hurricane Katrina, John Bridgers got his twenty-and-a-half-foot bass
boat out. He lives in Watson, a town of nine hundred people northeast of
Baton Rouge, which was battered by thirty-one inches of rain during a
storm that barely registered outside the state. Bridgers knew help was
coming from the Coast Guard, the state Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries, and other agencies, but it wouldn&#x2019;t be enough. &#x201C;We&#x2019;re all
sportsmen around here,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;Pretty much every other person has a
boat. So we got going.&#x201D;</p><figure class="ad"><amp-ad width="300" height="250" type="doubleclick" data-slot="/3379/newyorker.dart" json="{&quot;targeting&quot;:{&quot;partner&quot;:[&quot;amp&quot;],&quot;ctx_template&quot;:&quot;amp-article&quot;,&quot;ctx_page_slug&quot;:&quot;houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey&quot;,&quot;cnt_tags&quot;:[&quot;houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey&quot;,&quot;news&quot;,&quot;news-desk&quot;,&quot;Houston&quot;,&quot;Hurricane Harvey&quot;,&quot;natural disasters&quot;,&quot;Louisiana&quot;]}}"></amp-ad></figure>
<p>Bridgers started a Facebook group called Cajun Navy
2016, after the famed
all-volunteer flotilla of Louisiana boatmen and women who were credited
with rescuing more than ten thousand people during Katrina. Over the
next several days, Bridgers&#x2019;s volunteers used jon boats, motorboats,
bass boats, and even canoes to rescue people from flooded homes and
pluck them off rooftops. Thirteen people lost their lives, but local media said
that the death toll would have been higher if it weren&#x2019;t for volunteers
like the Cajun Navy 2016. &#x201C;When you pull up to an individual&#x2019;s house and
they&#x2019;re wading out of five feet of water with a duffel bag over their
head, and you pull them into your boat, you realize that&#x2019;s all they&#x2019;ve
got in that moment,&#x201D; Bridgers told me, on Sunday. &#x201C;That stays with you,
for good and bad.&#x201D;</p>
<p>This weekend, as Hurricane Harvey barrelled toward Houston, Bridgers and
about three dozen Cajun Navy 2016 members loaded up their boats and hit
the road on the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Houston. About twenty
made it to the western edge of the city, but traffic and flooding
prevented them from getting closer. They called Bridgers and other
members and urged them to wait. Bridgers pulled over at a truck stop,
settled into his seat, and logged onto Facebook. He put out the word
out that the Cajun Navy 2016 Facebook page, which has fifty thousand
followers, could help co&#xF6;rdinate volunteer efforts. &#x201C;Please Like and
Share the page so that we can again make a difference during yet another
disaster,&#x201D; he wrote. Pleas for help started rolling in as people told
Bridgers where their grandparents, neighbors, and kids were stranded.
&#x201C;Two Adults lady is 7 months pregnant,&#x201D; one post read. &#x201C;3 lil ones under
the age of 4,&#x201D; another said. &#x201C;Two elderly in 80s, One in wheelchair. 1
Adult...2&#x2019; of water in house right now,&#x201D; another read. One message said
that several senior citizens were &#x201C;sitting in water chest deep&#x201D; in a
nursing home. Bridgers hoped that a volunteer or first responder might
get wind of the message and head for a home they might otherwise
have missed. None of this was possible during Katrina, in 2005, he noted,
when Facebook was primarily used by college students, and volunteers had
to be onsite to help save lives. &#x201C;Say, during this whole ordeal, you
help a thousand people this way&#x2014;you would have helped a lot,&#x201D; he told
me.</p><figure class="ad"><amp-ad width="300" height="250" type="doubleclick" data-slot="/3379/newyorker.dart" json="{&quot;targeting&quot;:{&quot;partner&quot;:[&quot;amp&quot;],&quot;ctx_template&quot;:&quot;amp-article&quot;,&quot;ctx_page_slug&quot;:&quot;houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey&quot;,&quot;cnt_tags&quot;:[&quot;houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey&quot;,&quot;news&quot;,&quot;news-desk&quot;,&quot;Houston&quot;,&quot;Hurricane Harvey&quot;,&quot;natural disasters&quot;,&quot;Louisiana&quot;]}}"></amp-ad></figure>
<p>Late Sunday afternoon in Houston, the mayor, Sylvester Turner,
said that local police and fire officials had received six thousand calls for
rescue, and more than a thousand people had successfully been saved,
many plucked from roofs and attics. Turner said that 911
operators had received more than fifty-six thousand calls since the storm
began. &#x201C;We have not been able to keep up with all of the 911 calls that
are coming in,&#x201D; he said at a briefing. &#x201C;But it is our intent to respond
and to take in anyone that calls.&#x201D; The official death toll stood at
five, but it was unclear what was happening in large parts of the city,
or whether the situation would worsen as flooding intensified.</p>
<p>Television-news anchors warned viewers to stay out of attics where they
could be trapped by rising water&#x2014;or to bring an ax so they could hack a
hole in the roof and climb out to safety. Officials said that Houston,
the country&#x2019;s fourth-largest city, had already suffered billions of
dollars in damage, and that it would take years for the metropolitan
area, home to six million people, to fully recover.</p>
<p>The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, said that three thousand National
Guard members were helping hundreds of local police and firefighters carry
out rescues. Sixteen helicopters and six hundred water vessels criss-crossed the city. Unlike during Katrina, when New Orleans residents were told not to attempt boat rescues on their own, some
government officials in Texas were encouraging it. The police
department in League City, just south of Houston, put out a
call for private citizens with flat-bottom or shallow-water boats to lend a
hand. The department was quickly overwhelmed with offers of help.</p>
<p>&#x201C;We literally have hundreds of names and numbers and not enough manpower
to go around,&#x201D; the department posted, on Facebook. &#x201C;If we do not contact you please do not think that we do
not appreciate your offer. We are simply overwhelmed with the number of
offers for help.&#x201D;</p>
<p>The local ABC affiliate posted video of volunteer motorboats maneuvering around submerged vehicles on a badly
flooded street in Dickinson, Texas. A Fox affiliate broadcast
video of a volunteer rescue boat that had taken on stranded people in
Friendswood, including several small children weighed down by large
backpacks, and a woman carrying a baby on her chest.</p>
<p>Offers of assistance poured in from as far away as Philadelphia, but
Louisianans, in particular, vowed to help. Bridgers, the Cajun Navy 2016
organizer, and other Baton Rouge-area residents said they remembered how
the Texas National Guard mobilized during Katrina, and recalled the donations sent
by Texans after last year&#x2019;s flood. &#x201C;It&#x2019;s more of a reciprocal gift of
love back to them for what they did for us last year, plus we know they
need it,&#x201D; a Baton Rouge woman who was organizing a supply drive to a
Houston church told the city newspaper, the <em>Advocate</em>. &#x201C;How many
times has Louisiana been in the crossfire, and how many times have
people from other places helped us?&#x201D;</p><figure class="ad"><amp-ad width="300" height="250" type="doubleclick" data-slot="/3379/newyorker.dart" json="{&quot;targeting&quot;:{&quot;partner&quot;:[&quot;amp&quot;],&quot;ctx_template&quot;:&quot;amp-article&quot;,&quot;ctx_page_slug&quot;:&quot;houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey&quot;,&quot;cnt_tags&quot;:[&quot;houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey&quot;,&quot;news&quot;,&quot;news-desk&quot;,&quot;Houston&quot;,&quot;Hurricane Harvey&quot;,&quot;natural disasters&quot;,&quot;Louisiana&quot;]}}"></amp-ad></figure>
<p>As the sun set on Sunday, it was impossible to know how many Texans
trapped by flooding had been rescued and how many remained in danger. An
estimated four hundred billion gallons of water had engulfed the Houston
area, and rain was expected to continue for days. Bridgers planned to
keep posting on Facebook all night in hopes of spurring more rescues.
When the water recedes and the camera crews move on, he told me, his
crew&#x2019;s real work would begin. A year after the devastating flood in his
Louisiana town, Cajun Navy 2016 is still helping co&#xF6;rdinate
volunteer efforts to rebuild homes. Bridgers plans to use the group&#x2019;s
Facebook page to pitch in with Houston&#x2019;s rebuilding effort, too. &#x201C;Once
that water&#x2019;s gone, they&#x2019;re not gonna have homes to go to,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;I
can relate, &#x2019;cause I&#x2019;ve been there.&#x201D;</p>
</section></section></div></div><div class="paywall-truncated" amp-access="result = &apos;REQUIRE_LOGIN&apos; OR result = &apos;REQUIRE_ENTITLEMENT&apos;" amp-access-hide="true"><div class="article"><section><section><p>Last August, when a freak
storm unexpectedly dumped three times more water on Louisiana than did
Hurricane Katrina, John Bridgers got his twenty-and-a-half-foot bass
boat out. He lives in Watson, a town of nine hundred people northeast of
Baton Rouge, which was battered by thirty-one inches of rain during a
storm that barely registered outside the state. Bridgers knew help was
coming from the Coast Guard, the state Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries, and other agencies, but it wouldn&#x2019;t be enough. &#x201C;We&#x2019;re all
sportsmen around here,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;Pretty much every other person has a
boat. So we got going.&#x201D;</p>









</section></section></div><section class="paywall-notif"><div amp-access="activeMeter.count = activeMeter.max"><template amp-access-template="true" type="amp-mustache">You have reached your {{exceededMeter.max}} free articles this month.</template></div><div on="tap:amp-access.login-signin" class="paywall-notif-link" data-z-depth="2" role="button" tabindex="3"><a>Login to read more!</a></div></section></div></div><div class="back-cover"><div class="social-sharing"><amp-social-share type="email" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="email" aria-label="Email Share"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="facebook" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="facebook" data-param-app_id="1147169538698836" data-param-text="A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey" data-param-href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey" aria-label="Facebook Share"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="twitter" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="twitter" aria-label="Tweet"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="pinterest" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="pinterest" data-description="A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey" aria-label="Pin"></amp-social-share><amp-social-share type="whatsapp" height="44" width="44" data-vars-event-id="social" data-vars-event-type="whatsapp" data-share-endpoint="whatsapp://send" data-param-text="Check out this article: TITLE - CANONICAL_URL" aria-label="Whatsapp Share"></amp-social-share></div></div></div><footer><section class="related-content"><header><h1>Related</h1></header><div class="related-link"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/our-many-fears-of-hurricane-harvey?intcid=inline_amp"><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59a1be0fe90541416286a2ba/4:3/w_300,h_225,c_limit/BWW-hurricane-harvey-TX.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></a><p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/our-many-fears-of-hurricane-harvey?intcid=inline_amp">Our Many Fears of Hurricane Harvey</a></p></div><div class="related-link"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/hurricane-katrina-in-the-new-yorker?intcid=inline_amp"><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/59096fc2c14b3c606c107c8e/4:3/w_300,h_225,c_limit/150824_r26854.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></a><p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/hurricane-katrina-in-the-new-yorker?intcid=inline_amp">Hurricane Katrina in The New Yorker</a></p></div><div class="related-link"><a href="http://video.newyorker.com/watch/hurricane-harvey-strikes-hard?intcid=recirc_amp"><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="http://dwgyu36up6iuz.cloudfront.net/heru80fdn/image/upload/c_fill,d_placeholder_thescene.jpg,fl_progressive,g_center,h_225,q_80,w_300/v1503954996/thenewyorker_hurricane-harvey-strikes-hard.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></a><p><a href="http://video.newyorker.com/watch/hurricane-harvey-strikes-hard?intcid=recirc_amp">Hurricane Harvey Strikes Hard</a></p></div><div class="related-link"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-reckoning-with-women-awaits-trump?intcid=inline_amp"><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5a81c2e952e589162b8500e5/4:3/w_300,h_225,c_limit/Remnick-A-Reckoning-with-Women-Awaits-Trump.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></a><div class="kicker"><div class="rubric" data-source="rubric">Daily Comment</div></div><p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-reckoning-with-women-awaits-trump?intcid=inline_amp">A Reckoning with Women Awaits Trump</a></p></div><div class="related-link"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-appearances/sports-illustrateds-spectacularly-silly-metoo-swimsuit-issue?intcid=inline_amp"><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5a7df0119b296425eaeb01ce/4:3/w_300,h_225,c_limit/Schwartz-Sports-Illustrated.png" width="300" height="225" alt="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></a><div class="kicker"><div class="rubric" data-source="rubric">Annals of Appearances</div></div><p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-appearances/sports-illustrateds-spectacularly-silly-metoo-swimsuit-issue?intcid=inline_amp">Sports Illustrated&#x2019;s Spectacularly Silly #MeToo Swimsuit Issue</a></p></div><div class="related-link"><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/the-eagles-parade-was-beautiful-melancholy-profane-and-utterly-philly?intcid=inline_amp"><figure tabindex="0" class="image"><amp-img src="https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5a7dd97dc1475d05cbe6f2c7/4:3/w_300,h_225,c_limit/Seabrook-The-Eagles-Parade.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></a><div class="kicker"><div class="rubric" data-source="rubric">Sporting Scene</div></div><p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/the-eagles-parade-was-beautiful-melancholy-profane-and-utterly-philly?intcid=inline_amp">The Eagles Parade Was Beautiful, Melancholy, Profane, and Utterly Philly</a></p></div></section><small>&#xA9; Cond&#xE9; Nast 2018</small></footer><section id="paywall-growler" class="paywall-notif paywall-fixed" data-z-depth="2" amp-access="(result = &apos;ALLOW_ACCESS&apos; OR result = &apos;REQUIRE_LOGIN&apos; OR result = &apos;REQUIRE_ENTITLEMENT&apos;) AND ( activeMeter OR exceededMeter)"><div class="paywall-growler"><a on="tap:paywall-growler.hide" class="paywall-btn-dismiss" role="button" tabindex="1">&#xD7;</a><div amp-access="activeMeter AND activeMeter.count &gt;= 0 AND activeMeter.max &gt; 0"><template amp-access-template="true" type="amp-mustache"><h3 class="paywall-message-title">You are viewing article {{activeMeter.count}} of {{activeMeter.max}} free articles this month.</h3><p class="paywall-message-main"><a on="tap:amp-access.login-subscribe"><span><u>Subscribe</u> to <i>The New Yorker</i></span><span class="colored">for only $1 a week.</span><span><small>Plus, get a free tote.</small></span></a></p></template></div><div amp-access="exceededMeter AND exceededMeter.count &gt;= exceededMeter.max"><template amp-access-template="true" type="amp-mustache"><h3 class="paywall-message-title">You&apos;ve read your last complimentary article this month.</h3><p class="paywall-message-main"><a on="tap:amp-access.login-subscribe"><span><u>Subscribe</u> to <i>The New Yorker</i></span><span class="colored">for only $1 a week.</span><span><small>Plus, get a free tote.</small></span></a></p></template></div><div class="paywall-growler-footer">Already a subscriber?<div on="tap:amp-access.login-signin" class="paywall-growler-sign-in" data-z-depth="2" role="button" tabindex="3"><a>Sign in</a></div></div></div></section><amp-analytics type="comscore"><script type="application/json">{"vars":{"c2":"6035094"}}</script></amp-analytics><amp-analytics type="googleanalytics"><script type="application/json">{"vars":{"account":"UA-8293713-14"},"triggers":{"trackPageview":{"on":"visible","request":"pageview"}}}</script></amp-analytics><amp-analytics type="adobeanalytics_nativeConfig"><script type="application/json">{"requests":{"base":"https://static.condenastdigital.com/cn-adobe-analytics/stats.html","iframeMessage":"${base}?campaign=${queryParam(campaign)}&pageURL=${ampdocUrl}&ref=${documentReferrer}"},"extraUrlParams":{"account":"conde-newyorker","trackingServer":"stats2.newyorker.com","trackingServerSecure":"sstats.newyorker.com","canonical":"https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey","contentID":"59a3802b349dd46ec7f231ba","contentLength":"all","contributor":"Tasneem Raja","display":"A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey","keywords":"News,News Desk,Houston,Hurricane Harvey,natural disasters,Louisiana","pageType":"amp-article","pageValue":"all","publishDate":"2017-08-28T03:30:08.335Z","subsection":"undefined/null#"}}</script></amp-analytics><amp-analytics type="parsely"><script type="application/json">{"vars":{"apikey":"newyorker.com"}}</script></amp-analytics><amp-analytics config="https://infinityid.condenastdigital.com/infinityid/amp" data-credentials="include"><script type="application/json">{"requests":{"base":"https://capture.condenastdigital.com/track?uID=${clientId(CN_sp)}&xID=${xid}&_t=${eventLabel}","pageclick":"${base}&_v1=${eventId}&_v2=${eventType}","pagetime":"${base}&_v=${totalEngagedTime}","pageview":"${base}&pPw=${scrollWidth}&pPh=${scrollHeight}&pWw=${screenWidth}&pWh=${screenHeight}&pRr=${documentReferrer}","scrollevent":"${base}&pSy=${verticalScrollBoundary}"},"extraUrlParams":{"cPd":"2017-08-28T03:30:08.335Z","cCh":"","cSch":"","cTy":"amp-article","cId":"59a3802b349dd46ec7f231ba","cTi":"A Makeshift Navy Struggles to Respond to Hurricane Harvey","cCu":"https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/houston-a-makeshift-navy-struggles-to-respond-to-hurricane-harvey","_ts":"2018-02-13T11:14:31.739Z","_o":"the-new-yorker","_c":"amp","phr":"${canonicalUrl}"},"triggers":{"anchorClicks":{"on":"click","selector":"#email-subscription, amp-social-share","request":"pageclick","vars":{"eventLabel":"pageclick"}},"pageview-event":{"on":"visible","request":"pageview","vars":{"eventLabel":"pageview"}},"pageTimer":{"on":"timer","timerSpec":{"interval":10,"maxTimerLength":600},"request":"pagetime","vars":{"eventLabel":"timespent"}},"scrollPings":{"on":"scroll","scrollSpec":{"verticalBoundaries":[25,50,75,90]},"request":"scrollevent","vars":{"eventLabel":"scroll"}}}}</script></amp-analytics></body></html>