A mattress company in Houston has turned its stores into makeshift storm shelters for Hurricane Harvey victims.
Owner Jim McIngvale, also known as ‘Mattress Mack’, opened the doors of his two Gallery Furniture locations on Sunday to allow those misplaced by the horrific storm to take refuge.
He put a call out on Facebook at the weekend and within hours found himself housing 400 people in his stores.
The stores are stocked with food, water and mattresses.
Maria Lopez plays with her son Rafael Lopez, 3, in the warehouse at Gallery Furniture after it was turned into a makeshift storm shelter at the weekend
Owner Jim McIngvale, also known as ‘Mattress Mack’, opened the doors of his two Gallery Furniture locations on Sunday to allow those misplaced by the horrific storm to take refuge
McIngvale also organized for his largest moving truck to help rescue people displaced by the floods.
‘Gallery Furniture North Freeway and Gallery Furniture Grand Parkway are now open as shelters for anyone who is in need,’ the Facebook post read.
‘We have food, beds and clean restrooms for anyone in need who comes to those locations. Kenneled animals who must stay in kennel and at owners side are welcome.’
A follow up post said the stores were now at capacity and encouraged those in need of shelter to go to the George R Brown Convention Center, which has 1.8 million square feet of space.
Charlotte Mills reads her Bible in the warehouse at Gallery Furniture where she has been staying after evacuating her flooded home over the weekend
Jakobe Thomas plays with his one-year-old sister Journey after they sought refuge in the mattress store
Evacuee Carolyn Jackson sorts through donated clothing in the warehouse at Gallery Furniture which opened its doors to those needing shelter in Houston
Gary Krenshaw, who is homeless, messages family and friends in the warehouse at Gallery Furniture where he has been staying after evacuating over the weekend
Volunteers took a break inside the Houston furniture store after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc
Young children played on a makeshift play center inside the mattress store as their families sought shelter
Pictures from inside the stores show people, including emergency responders, resting on mattresses and queuing for food.
‘When the hurricane first hit down here, my thought was this is going to be a one-day event,’ McIngvale told NPR.
‘Then I came into work the next day and I saw the devastation of the entire area and decided it would be best if we opened this 100,000-square-foot furniture store as a shelter.
‘We have another furniture store in west Houston, so we opened both stores as shelters. Now we have about 400 people that are living in both of these furniture stores, trying to get back on their feet.’
Gallery Furniture was stocked with food and drink for those in need following the weekend
The owner also organized for his largest moving truck to help rescue people displaced by the floods (above)
Hundreds of people have taken up refuge inside the Houston furniture store since its owner opened up his doors