Former Kankakee Resident trapped in airport during Hurricane Harvey

Posted on August 31, 2017
This picture was taken by Emily Provance, the day after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. The view is of highways just outside Houston.

 

BY SEAN COPELAND

As of August 30th, 2017 29 U.S. Residents have died as a result of the initial landfall of Hurricane Harvey.

Anxious sums up the experience of one former central Illinois woman stranded in a Texas airport as Hurricane Harvey was wreaking havoc.

Emily Provance (province) grew up in Kankakee and happened to be travelling through what’s known as HOBI (hobby) airport in Houston to reach a friend’s wedding. She hoped leaving ahead of the storm would save her stress and hassle…but that didn’t happen. She was stranded anyway – along with countless others as thousands of flights were cancelled.

Provance was one of hundreds calling the William P. Hobby Airport home for at least one night after delays, cancellations, and – ultimately the realization she’d be sleeping on the floor of the terminal…

“I got a spot not too far from a Houston police officer and decided to sleep next to him,” said Provance. “I got an email maybe ten minutes later that, that flight was cancelled. So I tried to get another flight for that afternoon and that ended up being canceled. Southwest made an announcement over the intercom that they were canceling all flights.”

Provance slept under the chairs, next to her laptop and phone cords. Basic necessities were a luxury. For example, Emily has diabetes and wanted to be careful to ration what food she did have to preserve her health unsure what might happen at the airport and beyond. Emily eventually made it to Illinois, but is still concerned about other family members attempting to travel through the same water-logged areas of Texas.

Sean Copeland can be reached at [email protected]

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