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Chinese in Texas cope in the wake of Hurricane Harvey

Our thoughts and hearts go out to the people of Texas, some of whom have lost their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Classed as one of the most destructive storms in American history, Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas with catastrophic flash flooding that left at least 18 dead so far, as well as tens of thousands fleeing under evacuation orders.

Texas is home to millions of people, and Houston – the fourth largest city in the US – is home to the 10^th largest Chinese population in America as well.

Among the many stories of people coming together to help each other, the Chinese community in Houston was also doing so through WeChat. Some WeChat users reached out for assistance, while other users in the community were spreading the word, reposting and sharing posts calling for help out to their own network.

A story of a Chinese woman named Zilin posting a photo of her floating sofa with a call for help to anyone able to with boat, tells of how WeChat users were sharing such posts out to their own network in hopes of helping in any way possible.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Texas is the second favourite home market in the US for foreign real estate buyers from mainland China¹, while Houston ranks as the fourth most popular US city by enquiry for Chinese buyers on Juwai.com.²

However, Hurricane Harvey has now left close to 50,000 homes damaged by the unprecedented and widespread flood, which that has caused most of low-lying areas of Texas to currently remain deluged chest-deep in water.

For those who wish to help donate to the relief fund, you can do so via the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, the American Red Cross, or if you’re in the US, text the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Texas, you are in our thoughts. As for those in other affected areas like those in Louisiana, stay safe with these flood safety tips from the American Red Cross.

Sources: 1. National Association of Realtors (NAR): 2017 Profile of International Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate Report; 2. Juwai IQ Data H1 2017;