Boy celebrates birthday in Houston shelter surrounded by fellow evacuees
Shelter residents and volunteers secured a cake and presents for the occasion.
— -- Despite Hurricane Harvey and all the losses it's caused, the more than 32,000 Houston residents currently living in shelters as a result of the storm are carrying on with life celebrations.
One boy displaced by the storm celebrated his birthday at a Deer Park neighborhood shelter, according to ABC station KTRK in Houston.
The boy -- named Anthony -- spent his birthday surrounded by fellow evacuees and volunteers, who were able to get a cake, candle and presents for the occasion, according to KTRK.
Video posted to Instagram shows the moment a crowd collectively sings to the boy.
"Let's hear it for Anthony," a woman says into a microphone as the group of strangers cheer.
Anthony, wearing a paper birthday hat, then eagerly blows out the candle, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers and clap again. One resident then reaches out to give the birthday boy a high-five.
Between 30,000 and 40,000 homes in the Houston area have been destroyed from record flooding, forcing tens of thousands of people into shelters.
On Tuesday night, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner discussed plans to ease overcrowding at some shelters, including opening up the Toyota Center as an additional shelter.