Texas Residents Return Home To Find Devastating Destruction

“This is going to be a massive, massive cleanup process,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Friday.

A week after Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast as a category 4 storm, large swaths of Texas and Louisiana remain inundated with floodwater.

In parts of Houston and other nearby areas, however, the waters have started to recede, and some residents are returning home to begin the emotionally arduous task of cleaning up their belongings.

This is going to be a massive, massive cleanup process,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “People need to understand, this is not going to be a short-term project. This is going to be a multi-year project for Texas to be able to dig out of this catastrophe.”

Below, a look at some sobering images of Texans’ early efforts to gut homes and toss out flood-damaged property.

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People begin cleaning up the damage to their homes after torrential rains caused widespread flooding during Hurricane Harvey.
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A Dickinson resident hugs a friend who came to help her remove possessions damaged due to flooding.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images
Floodwaters have receded from this home, but the damage is done.
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Family members remove debris and damaged items from their father's home.
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Volunteers from Performance Contractors help co-worker Cornell Beasley clear up the damage to his home.
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People in face masks begin cleaning out their property.
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Books, furniture and other belongings are set to dry outside.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Lorenzo Salina helps a neighbor remove damaged walls.
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Volunteers and students from C.E. King High School help to clean up the school.
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Debris and possessions are piled at the curb.
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Bryan Parson (left), Chris Gaspard (center) and Derek Pelt (right) remove ruined items from Parson's home.
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Volunteers place water damaged school furniture and text books on the front lawn of C.E. King High School.
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Lillie Roberts talks with family members on the phone as contractor Jerry Garza begins the process of repairing her home.
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Cornell Beasley joins other residents as they dry and toss out their possessions.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images
Furniture that was destroyed in the flood is piled on the side of the street.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images
A man power-washes the driveway of his once flooded home.
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Stacey House holds up her daughter's volleyball portrait, which was damaged during the hurricane.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Willy Coronado helps a neighbor to clean a house.
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Missy Givens inspects the water level in her home.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images
People try to repair a truck that was submerged in floodwater.
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Derek Pelt removes a wall at his friend Bryan Parson's house.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
People on cleanup duty look around a damaged property.

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