Valley natives describe devastation and loss from Hurricane Harvey

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Andrew Carrillo moved to Rockport, Texas from Madera with his fiance and baby last year, and when they drove back to Rockport this week to look at the damage, they found out they no longer have a place to live.

"When I left the trailer the first time I was just looking at it and thinking to myself, I hope this trailer makes it. I hope it withstands," he said.

It's a thought Carrillo had before Hurricane Harvey made landfall and ripped through Rockport, Texas.

"Trying to get gas, I remember every gas station we went to was sold out of gas," he said.

He says his fiance is now five months pregnant and Hurricane Harvey has left them with no place to live.

"We actually came back to our trailer and there's a big oak tree through the roof," he said. "It completely ripped up the walkway of the front yard and fell through the house."

They've now been staying with in-laws, and in and out of hotels and shelters since last Thursday. The rest of his family still lives in Madera, and they say they were able to gather some money and deposit it into their bank accounts before the hurricane hit - hoping it would help them to get by. But after learning their trailer has been destroyed, it's not enough.

"My heart aches for them, they went to Texas with close to nothing," Carrillo's sister Zarina Ruiz said. "It's almost been a year since they've been there, and since they've been there, they worked real hard to get everything they have and now they're back to nothing."

His little sister says her heart is aching for them and hopes they'll be able to either rebuild their life in Rockport or move back home to Madera.

"It really hurts me because growing up, he was always the big brother to protect me, and now I feel the need to be out there protecting him, but I can't," Ruiz said.

These families are in need of a lot of help, and one of the best ways you can help is through donating blood through the Central California Blood Center to meet these emergency needs in Texas. People with O+ and O- blood types are particularly needed.

You can also help financially by donating money through the Red Cross which you can text HARVEY to 90999.

The Carrillo family set up a GoFundMe account.

While the water rose several feet, so far, his home so far has been spared.

Not everyone is facing the same level of destruction. Nathan Montanez, who grew up in Fresno, shot videos near his home in Houston. While the water rose several feet, so far, his home so far has been spared.

Montanez was able to make it out of his neighborhood on Saturday to view the damage and says he found himself immediately waist deep in water.

"It's taken over freeways. One of the major freeways right next to me is waist deep in water all the way across for a large stretch, very large stretch of miles. Every freeway in Houston seems to be underwater," said Montanez.

Montanez says he stocked up his pantry with supplies before the storm and should have enough until the rain subsides later this week.