HOUSTON - Just after 3 p.m. Monday, exactly two weeks before the one-year anniversary of historic flooding brought on by Hurricane Harvey, the Postel family drove into their southeast Houston driveway, back home for the very first time since floodwaters pushed them out a year prior.
David and Jessica Postel and their two children were greeted by a yard filled with family, neighbors and the military veterans who make up Team Rubicon, an organization dedicated to rebuilding homes after natural disasters.
Standing at a front passenger door, Jessica sobbed and thanked supporters for showing up. It's another hot day in Houston, and parking along her street, Almeda-Genoa, is hard to come by.
The Postels slowly made their way to the front steps of their home, stopping for hugs and kisses. With a microphone in hand, a member of Team Rubicon gushed over the Postels, and the family spoke praises of the group that spent the last two months rebuilding the family's home.
"We’ve been here for 20 years, and out of the 20 years never once had we thought we’d get flooded," Jessica Postel said. "We actually helped my parents when they got flooded during Allison, and it’s just real hard knowing when we thought we had a safe home, it wasn’t."
Team Rubicon, with the financial help of Carhartt, a workwear brand, and SBP, gutted the Postels' home which took in more than 20 inches of water and had damage all the way to the roof.
"They deserve it so much," Courtney Column said. "They’re a family that speaks of hope, courage and love, and they deserve all the support."
The Postels love the Houston Astros. In fact, some of the family members happened to show up in World Series gear. Team Rubicon reached out to the team, and Alex Bregman graciously showed up to deliver the house keys.
"It shows how Houston Strong this community really is," Bregman said. "We rally around each other. We help each other out."