Dayton grad in Houston: ‘I can’t even begin to describe’ Harvey damage

Safe in his buddy’s downtown Houston townhouse from the flooding of Hurricane Harvey, Greg Boyer sent a message to his friends back home in Ohio: “I can’t stress enough: Donations to the Red Cross.”

Boyer, 27, is a 2012 University of Dayton chemical engineering graduate working for Findlay-based Marathon Petroleum Corp. Originally from the Toledo area, Boyer has lived in Houston for five years and said the devastation from Harvey is unlike anything he has ever seen before.

MORE: Harvey yields isolated tornadoes, catastrophic rain and flooding

“I can’t even begin to describe it,” Boyer said by phone. “A sobering moment was waking up this morning to the sound of helicopters.”

Boyer is a half-mile from his house, which he believes has about 7 inches of water damage. But getting to his house to confirm the damage is practically impossible due to the flooded roads, he said.

“I’ve tried a couple of times to go over there,” Boyer said. “I think at best I would have had to go through 6 or 7 feet of standing water to get to my house.”

MORE: Ohio Task Force 1 continues Harvey response

Boyer encouraged donations to the American Red Cross.

“Any bit of time or treasure that you can spare is going to go a long way, because I can’t even imagine how much damage we’re dealing with,” he said.

To donate to the American Red Cross, click here.

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