Inside Today: Trail of destruction: A derecho photo gallery Page 2
WE DON’T KNOW THEM ALL, BUT WE OWE THEM ALL. Flower & Gift Shop
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
10570 NW Frwy ❖ 713-680-2350
Saturday, May 25, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No.21
ABOUT US 713-371-3600 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/FromTheLeader
Heights resident encounters storm on the road, businesses assess damages By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor
you’re reading this, so are your potential customers call today to advertise!
713-371-3600
INSIDE.
The fierce storm system that swept through the Heights last Thursday, unleashing havoc with winds reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, has officially been classified by the National Weather Service as a derecho, or straight-line windstorm. The violent storm gusts toppled massive trees, downed power lines, flipped high-voltage towers, and caused significant damage to homes, cars, and businesses in the area.
The storm’s fury left a trail of destruction that the community is still grappling with days later. Heights resident Brittany Shattuck, who was traveling with her daughter on Hwy. 290 when the storm rolled through, witnessed the highway go black and transformers sparking. “The sound was excruciating,” says Shattuck. “It sounded like a freight train, and the wind was so heavy that my car See STORM P. 3
Photo by Brittany Shattuck
Brittany Shattuck was traveling on Hwy. 290 when she was caught in the midst of a deadly derecho that savaged the Houston area.
for HEIGHTS/GOOF HIT the“Look Helpers!” HARD BY DERECHO By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
When things are at their worst, our neighbors are at their best. From individuals who drove around the neighborhood with a chainsaw to dismantle the fallen trees for a stranger, to community organizations that issued the rallying cry and showed up. From churches that delivered nutritious and spiritual sustenance, to businesses who gave back to the community they serve. So many stepped up to lend a hand in the community’s recovery. This is just a small collection of folks we caught doing good. If you’d like to thank or recognize someone who stepped up after the storm, let us know in a Letter to the Editor, editor@theleadernews.com.
Houston Food Bank seeks volunteers to build food boxes for storm victims
Page 2
Rebuilding after the storm: Recovery resources
Page 3
• The morning after the storm, Heights resident Darren Tompkins recognized his neighbors’ needs to keep their phones charged during the widespread power outages. So he set up a charging station in his front yards for people to use. • Council Member Kamin was able to coordinate Crowdsource Rescue to distribute hot meals for the residents at Heights Tower on W 19th St, a lowincome apartment building housing primarily disabled and elderly people. The building had no power for several days. Kamin called the conditions the occupants were left in “extremely concerning” and Mayor Whitmire heavily criticized the landlords for what he said amounted to abandonment.
Photo by Mark Easterly
A home at Melwood St. and Norhill Blvd. in the Houston Heights after a deadly derecho moved through Houston on May 16, 2024
Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center struggles after power outage
Page 6
Storm victims beware: Don’t fall for disaster scams
Page 6
Pet Puzzle: Helping your furry friend recover from weather-related anxiety
Page 8
Cleanup underway amidst widespread damage By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
wait well into the following week for power to be restored.
May 16, 2024 won’t be a date that’ll escape anyone’s memory anytime soon. The Heights/GOOF area was one part of town that caught the brunt of the devastating derecho that plowed through Houston in the early evening hours that Thursday. “We’re seeing the damage firsthand,” the Office of Council Member Abbie Kamin said in a social media post. “Many District C neighborhoods have been significantly impacted. There are countless downed lines and trees…” By Friday morning, the landscape looked bleak. Over the following days, reports trickled in of 8 people dead, including a family man in the Heights who was reportedly killed by a live powerline while clearing storm debris. Nearly a million people citywide were without power immediately
Closed for Derecho Locally, many businesses were forced to stay closed due to property damage or lack of electricity over the weekend. Most court cases were rescheduled, and jury duty was canceled in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Whitmire urged residents to stay home if possible, and steer clear of the downtown area, where winds up to 100 mph blew the windows out of skyscrapers and blanketed the streets with glass. Houston ISD and several other districts in the greater Houston area remained shuttered the day after the storm to make repairs. Sinclair Elementary was one of the schools suffering the most damage and remained shuttered on
Photo courtesy of Sinclair Elementary PTO
A tree branch pierced the roof of a portable classroom building at Sinclair Elementary. The school was one of the hardest hit in Houston ISD.
after the storm, and the residents of the Heights/GOOF areas were particularly hard-hit. Although thousands of linemen converged in Houston to lend a hand, many had to
See DERECHO. P. 3
See HELPERS P. 3
Andy’s in the Heights finds a new home By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor
Need a diversion? Catch up with Art Valet downtown this Saturday
Page 8
THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������5 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
Photo by Pastor Justin Gingrich
Members of Restore Church Houston help feed the residents of Heights Tower Saturday, May 18, 2024.
After a tumultuous period marked by closing its doors in a building it had owned and called home for 46 years, Andy’s Home Cafe is poised to make a triumphant return to the Houston Heights community. The beloved restaurant, which first opened its doors in 1977 at 1115 E. 11 St., closed its original location in August 2023 due in part to construction issues that blocked parking and the inability to use the back alley where deliveries were made and where their grease traps were routinely cleaned. Second generation proprietor, Thomas Morales, who had been helping operate the restaurant since
The old location of Andy’s Home Cafe on 11th St.
he was 16, has witnessed first-hand the many changes Andy’s has gone through over the years. His daughter, Monica, and wife, Maria, are now
Submitted photo
part of the team that oversees the day-to-day operations of this Heights icon. The family’s decision to sell was not one they took lightly but ul-
timately the family saw the closing as an opportunity to rethink the restaurant’s offerings. Morales’ grandparents were the original owners of Andy’s and brought authentic flavors from Mexico to the Heights. Carne guisada, Columbian enchiladas, and menudo were customer favorites when the restaurant had hours that started at breakfast and ran into the late-night. To keep Andy’s afloat while searching for a new home, the family partnered with Rabbit’s Got The Gun, The Shiloh Club, and the Heights Drive Inn to maintain a presence in the culinary landscape of Houston through pop ups.
H E L P SUPPORT LO C A L J O U R NA L I S M Scan this QR code to make a donation through Paypal today!
See ANDY’S P. 6