Cypress Creek Cultural District
The Cypress Creek Cultural District on Cypresswood Drive was damaged by the storm, with Cypress Creek Christian Church and The Centrum performance hall taking on about 2 feet of water during the storm. Barbara Bush Branch Library and Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts also received some flooding damage, according to posts on their websites.
Volunteers began clearing out damaged carpet and furnishings from the Cypress Creek Christian Church complex—where The Centrum is located—in the days after the storm. The Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts and Community Enrichment, which holds most of its events at The Centrum, is evaluating how to reschedule or find new locations for concerts planned in the 2017-18 season.
"I'm hoping that we can find alternate locations," said Nancy Decker, who coordinates performances for the Cypress Creek FACE.
The water damaged the venue's performance area and equipment throughout the building.
"We think the Steinway [piano], which is 20 years old now, is survivable. We’ve lost computers, [but] everything can be replaced."
Bruce Frogge, senior pastor at Cypress Creek Christian Church, said the church will hold services at Basel's All-Star Gymnastics and Cheer at 4963 Louetta Road, Spring, this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The congregation may be able to meet in the church's activity room the following week, as it did not sustain any damage, he said.
"We're fine—it doesn’t look like we’re fine but there are too many people out there that don’t know what direction is up, and that’s where people need to put their attention and energies,” Frogge said.
Nonprofit groups
The Houston Northwest Chamber Foundation—a nonprofit organization that works with the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce—has set up a donation drive to raise money for local business owners, HNWCC President Barbara Thomason said. She said the funds raised by the foundation will provide immediate relief to business owners in the area as they wait for funding from the federal Small Business Administration.
Thomason said the chamber has also registered with Federal Emergency Management Agency to become part of a communication network that disseminates information in response to emergencies.
“We can direct [business owners] to the resources they need to access, and if there’s something they can’t accomplish on their own, we will help facilitate that and expedite their inquiries,” Thomason said.
Northwest Assistance Ministries President Carole Little said the nonprofit organization—which provides food and other services for the community—is providing emergency relief for basic needs, including water, food and clothing. The next step in the recovery process is helping families relocate whose homes were destroyed. NAM is applying for local, state, and federal funding and also accepting monetary donations to assist with the relocation process, she said
After families have found a new home, the next step is providing mental health services to those grieving over what they lost in the storm, she said.
“We go from relief to relocation and then to long-term recovery, and that is where the mental health part will really be critical,” Little said.
