Hurricane Harvey has been devastating southern Texas since it hit the mainland at the end of last week, flooding Houston and nearby areas in an unprecedented manner, and forcing both humans and animals, even possums, to seek refuge in the most unlikely of places.
Thousands have fled their homes, which have been left destroyed, and animals have not been spared in the displacement brought on by the natural disaster, as reporter Brian Curtis found while he drove through a bridge at James Bute Park in downtown Houston.
The KXAS/NBC Dallas reporter jumped out of his car after spotting what looked like a ball of fur curled up on one of the supports of a bridge that crosses a body of water near the Buffalo Bayou river.
Poor little guy! A reporter got out of his car when he spotted a trembling possum taking refuge from Hurricane Harvey on a bridge in Houston, Texas
A heartwarming encounter: ‘I’m not an expert on these little creatures, but it shows you how everything in Houston is trying to get out of this weather,’ reporter Brian Curtis said
The video, posted by NBC Miami, shows the moment Brian spots the animal and recognizes it as a possum, pointing out that ‘everything is seeking shelter from the storm’.
‘He’s alive, he looks definitely kind of traumatized,’ Brian can be heard saying.
‘I’m not an expert on these little creatures, but it shows you how everything in Houston is trying to get out of this weather,’ he added of the possum, who seems exhausted from protecting himself against the harsh elements.
He appears completely soaked and is shaking uncontrollably- he looks as if he’s both freezing and incredibly afraid of the fast winds and heavy rain.
Possums need refuge too: The animal, like thousands of Texans, was trying to protect himself from the fast winds and rain brought on by Hurricane Harvey
A long recovery: South Texas will be recovering from Hurricane Harvey for a long time. The National Weather Service has called it ‘beyond anything experienced before’
‘The concern, obviously, throughout the day, is that this will just continue,’ Brian said of the less-than-ideal weather conditions before turning the camera on the struggling possum again.
He is then seen on the same spot and in the same position, fiercely holding on to the bridge support and still shaking uncontrollably.
According to Houston Patch, Buffalo Bayou’s flood level has steadied and it’s now taking on water from the overflowed Barker and Addicks Reservoirs in Houston.
Unfortunately, both people and animals in southern Texas will be left dealing with the aftermath of Harvey, which has been described by the National Weather Service as ‘beyond anything experienced before,’ for a while.