From staff reports

Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman looked to the heavens for help as he waded through his own flooded house early Wednesday.

“Pray for our city,” Freeman said in an online video he posted. “Harvey wasn’t playing. Harvey was not playing.”

The mayor was walking through knee-high water in his home as he spoke.

“We have fire personnel, the National Guard is assembling right now, mobilizing, Freeman said. “We have the military that is involved. We have the Coast Guard involved.

“We have all city assets helping. We have public works people driving dump trucks, we have air boats, we have volunteers.”

Despite what the overwhelming amount of water that has drenched the city, Freeman was looking to the future.

“We’re going to rebuild Port Arthur. This isn’t the end, this is just the beginning,” he said. “I know one thing, though, it’s not going to defeat us. I know that for sure.”

Freeman assured residents first responders were working as quickly as possible to help them.

“If you’re still in your home, we’re coming,” he said. “Stay with us. If you call 911 and we haven’t gotten there yet, we are on the way.

“Port Arthur, if anything else, I know, we’re resilient, we’re strong. We’re going to get through this. We’re going to come back stronger, much stronger.”