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8-year-old relocates to Waco after escaping Hurricane Harvey's wrath

Posted at 8:22 PM, Sep 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-07 21:40:59-04

A young Hurricane Harvey victim has relocated to Waco after surviving the wrath of the storm.

Eight-year-old Jordan Robbins was rescued from the roof of a flooded apartment complex in Port Arthur.

"I was scared. I was wet. Then my brother left and then he went to find my mother and he never came back," said Robbins. 

Robbins was separated from her family during her rescue. She was sent to a shelter in Orange, then Killeen, before being dropped off at her aunt's house in Waco at 3 a.m. over the weekend.

"Here she is wrapped in a hoodie, just what she had on. Her little bag. I couldn't breathe, I think I almost passed out," said Julie Gannaway, Jordan's aunt.

"I felt happy and loved," said Robbins. "I love my Aunt Julie."

Gannaway said being together is a huge blessing, but she's worried for the financial struggle that lies ahead since Robbins will now live with her permanently. Gannaway is medically retired and on a fixed income.

"She has no bed. There's no bedding. I don't have those things, that kind of little bitty luxuries," said Gannaway. "I've just been trying to maintain a roof and a floor."

For now, it's the bare bones to get by. Jordan is sleeping on the couch with few belongings, but it's the love for one another that's making the place feel like home.

"I'm just going to love her and keep praying and just keep her close to my heart," said Gannaway. "The struggle is going to be great but I refuse to let her feel it. She's been through enough, she really has."

"I pray for my family, that it will be good in Port Arthur and I pray for my aunt and I pray for me," said Robbins.

Earlier today, Gannaway was hired as a substitute teacher for Waco ISD. She hopes the extra income will help with her situation.

Gannaway said she's reached out to a number of local organizations for additional assistance, but most are still busy with their efforts down south.

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