by Lynn Mandaville

The name Harvey used to evoke in me memories of an old Jimmy Stewart film about a wealthy, eccentric man named Elwood P. Dowd whose companion is an imaginary six-foot rabbit named Harvey. This film is a gentle exploration of mental health and the advisability of chemical intervention for a delusion which hurts no one.

After this week, the name Harvey will forever be associated with one of the worst natural disasters in American history. I’m writing this on Tuesday, the fourth day after the storm hit Texas. The storm is basically stalled over the Houston area and rainfall at this moment is more than 51 inches. So far, the number of victims is in the tens of thousands. Those numbers rise by the hour.

This Harvey is far from a figment of one man’s imagination. This Harvey is palpable. Moreover, it is a nightmare of unimaginable proportions.

I don’t need to describe the suffering. You’ve surely seen the scope of it on your television or computer.

What I’d like to remind people of is how you can help.

The BEST way to help is with money. Money can be channeled to whichever relief organization you choose, and if you designate it to “greatest need” that money can be used where the experts deem it most urgent. The American Red Cross is a great organization. They can determine where and how much food, clothing, diapers, health and hygiene products, and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals are needed. They can arrange for professional medical care for those in need. There are also relief agencies that specialize in caring for displaced pets and farm animals (yes, there are horses and cattle affected by this storm, too). You can find these agencies on the web sites of major news networks.

I know that people are sometimes moved to send material goods to those folks they see on TV who have only what they wear on their backs. Resist this urge. Remember back to Katrina, when northerners sent clothing and household goods. Relief workers on the ground were inundated with material goods, but there was nowhere to store those goods, to sort them, or to distribute them. All available space was needed to house and shelter the displaced people.

That’s how it is in Texas. The flooding continues to spread. Even some shelters are now experiencing flooding and their refugees have to be relocated.

So send your prayers, your thoughts, your positive energy and good vibes. And SEND MONEY. Send it for general relief, for where the need is greatest. Let the experts decide if food and shelter take priority over your cast-off clothing.

May God and the Great Out There watch over the people of south Texas.