Sporting a t-shirt from his new favorite small town is Roberto Rubio of Angelton, who took shelter in Fairfield during Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Nicole Schaefer)
“This community is fantastic! I can’t say enough about all the love we have been shown here. This is the only time in my life I have ever been at a loss for words,” explains Mr. Roberto Rubio, a Hurricane Harvey evacuee from Angleton, Texas.
Mr. Rubio and his family (wife, son, daughter, and two grandchildren) spent time in Fairfield at the Holiday Inn Express as it was the closest available room to family they have in Centerville.
The family left their home prior to the storm hitting; and are one of the lucky ones with very little damage.
“I’m pretty sure we will have to repair the fence and clean up some downed trees, but I don’t think we had any flood damage,” he says. “We are located on a pretty elevated location.”
He continues, “Our main concern when we get back is that of our youngest daughter who stayed. She is pregnant with twins; and her new house got four feet of water. We are anxious to get home to take care of her.”
He says that while going through this rough time, his and other evacuee families were well cared for. “We never went without a hot meal. That has been the biggest help with saving money. Finances will be tight when we get back home for a while, and not having to pay for every meal for over a week was a huge help!”
Mr. Rubio says that his family was welcomed with open arms by the community and members of the FreeCo Disaster Relief Volunteer Group.
“Anything we could possibly think of that we might need, they provided. We didn’t want for anything while we were here,” he explains.
Mr. Rubio also has high praise for the hotel staff, “The management communicated with us very well and kept us informed. We always knew where to go for meals and items we needed.”
He concludes, “We know where our second home is. In fact, if I knew I could support my family here, we would probably relocate. Leaving here will be hard. We made some life-long friends here and will definitely be back to visit!”
The Rubio family is just one of many families who made Freestone County their home during Hurricane Harvey. There are so many more stories just like his and all the love and thanks they have for the outpouring of love and care from our community.
They all wish to thank Freestone County residents, churches, businesses, the disaster relief group, and all others who helped or donated to make them feel at home while in our community.
