Texas high school reopens for the 1st time since Hurricane Harvey

"There's been a lot of smiles this morning," the superintendent said.

ByAndrea Miller
March 19, 2018, 3:58 PM

One Houston high school that was heavily damaged from Hurricane Harvey reopened today for the first time since the storm struck last August.

"There's been a lot of smiles this morning," Kingwood High School superintendent Elizabeth Fagen told ABC News. "Students were yelling, 'We're so excited!'"

The Kingwood, Texas, school, located about 30 miles north of Houston, was closed for over six months after flooding from the hurricane damaged the split-level building.

The storm caused "millions of dollars in damage," a spokesperson for the school district told ABC News.

PHOTO: Floodwaters from the San Jacinto River inundate condominiums in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, Aug. 30, 2017, in Kingwood.
Floodwaters from the San Jacinto River inundate condominiums in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, Aug. 30, 2017, in Kingwood.

All 2,782 Kingwood students were sent to another school in the district as repairs were taking place.

"All the ceramic tile was removed down to the concrete slab," Fagen said of the flooring, and the walls and doors on the first and second floors had to be replaced.

The renovations included security enhancements and a brand new gym, theater, and pool, which is still under construction.

PHOTO: In this Sept. 26, 2017 photo, workers continue clearing debris from the home of Houston resident Chris Slaughter, whose house in the suburb of Kingwood Texas was flooded by 5 1/2 feet of water during Harvey's torrential rainfall.
In this Sept. 26, 2017 photo, workers continue clearing debris from the home of Houston resident Chris Slaughter, whose house in the suburb of Kingwood Texas was flooded by 5 1/2 feet of water during Harvey's torrential rainfall.

Next weekend the high school is hosting an open house for the community to come and see the renovations.

"We have people in our community still working through it, but I couldn't be prouder of the way people here have handled the situation," Fagen said.

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