Jonathon Simmons rescued in boat from Hurricane Harvey

Jonathon Simmons rode out Hurricane Harvey just outside of his home in Houston. Even so, he had to be rescued in a boat to safety.

Hurricane Harvey is still devastating Houston and the surrounding area in Texas. The storm made landfall in Southeast Texas as a category 4 storm. As Florida residents well know, that is nothing to mess with.

Still, the images of devastation and the flooding that is taking place throughout the area are hard to watch. Donations from around the country and acts of genuine kindness continue to pour into the area as Houston tries to hold on and survive the storm and then begin rebuilding.

For almost every resident in Houston, there is a lot of uncertainty about what the immediate future holds. Many are still struggling to get out and away from their flooded homes.

That includes Orlando Magic guard and Houston native Jonathon Simmons.

Simmons and his family decided to leave his downtown Houston high-rise condo to stay with a friend to ride out the storm outside of Houston. They were plenty well stocked, but the storm got worse and more people arrived fleeing, stretching their provisions thin. They quickly realized they would have to leave and could not ride it out at their location.

As Simmons told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com, that is when things got a bit surreal.

The water never flooded Simmons’ friend’s house. But the water outside on the street was still knee deep and nearly impassable. Fortunately, Simmons and his friends were rescued and escaped to safety.

"“Trae the Truth, the rapper, is from Houston and we know a mutual friend from San Antonio. They brought a boat to Houston because (Trae) had to evacuate as well,” Simmons said of the rapper, who has gained additional notoriety recently in Houston for helping dozens of others evacuate flooded areas. “They came and got (Trae) and then he came and got us right away. Luckily, I had a friend in the area who could help us out.”"

Trae the Truth, a local rapper, has been among many Houston residents who have volunteered their boats to go around searching for stranded residents trying to ride out the storm as the water has flooded city streets.

It does not appear Simmons was ever in any real danger. That certainly makes him one of the fortunate ones.

Still, Simmons had to wade through knee-deep water, take that boat to safety and then ride a dump truck for five miles to get to safety. He is still unable to reach his home in Downtown Houston. There is no telling what he will see when he gets there.

The most important thing, though, is he and his family are OK. And eventually, Houston will be too:

"“It’s devastating,” Simmons told OrlandoMagic.com. “Luckily, none of my family was seriously affected, but I see a lot of my friends suffering and that’s difficult. But I’m also proud of how the city of Houston has come together to help one another. On the upside and the brighter side, there’s that seeing how people have been there to help one another.”"

Simmons said he received calls from Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel, from San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford and from current and former teammates with the Magic and Spurs. That helped lift his spirits.

Magic rookie guard Wesley Iwundu is also from Houston. He told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com he was in Orlando during the storm, but 30-40 of his extended family rode the storm out in Houston. He reported everyone safe, but that water had damaged his family’s home.

Iwundu said it was tough to watch the storm from afar and get information through news reports. He said he kept in touch with family via texts and phone messages.

"“It’s definitely been devastating because I am from there and it’s a beautiful place,” Iwundu told OrlandoMagic.com. “When you see your city going through all of the flooding like that, it’s heartbreaking. With me having a lot of family there, it was really tough. Some of them have been hit hard by it, but they’re doing fine now and making their way through it.”"

Houston still needs help lifting its spirits, though.

The NBA and its franchises are partnering to help raise money for the American Red Cross, the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund and the Houston Food Bank. You can find more information in the tweet below.

There is obviously still a lot to do to get Houston back on its feet. The storm has (finally) passed and should hopefully give the city and the area some much-needed relief. At least, a chance to begin cleaning up.

Next: For Jonathon Simmons, it is about his next opportunity

Simmons was definitely one of the lucky ones. As were the people in his party who stayed with his friend outside the city.