Man Lost Everything Twice, To Harvey And Katrina; 'I Get Back Up'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The rebuilding of homes and lives has begun for thousands in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and some have been through it before, including a former Illinois resident who also survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Two devastating storms have landed on Darrin Rankin's doorstep in 12 years.
"Why is God doing this to me? I'm a good man. I take care of my family. I work. I pay my taxes. I do the things any good person would do, right?" he said. "I'm not out here committing crimes, or hurting anybody, so why is this happening? Twice?"
Rankin, 52, is an administrator and professor at Lone Star College in the Houston area.
Floodwater drove Rankin and his wife and two sons from their home in Houston, and now they're staying with friends. Rankin believes he somehow failed his sons.
"They're not supposed to be living in a room in someone's house. I mean, they're supposed to have their own space in their own rooms in their own homes," he said. "When you have people who are counting on you to always make the right decisions, to always have the answers … you know, I'm dad. I'm husband."
"I decided to build this family. My wife and I decided to build this family. I decided to marry this woman. I owe her and I owe my children the best of everything," he added. "And it's my fault, because it was my responsibility to see to it that they always get the very best of everything."
Although he has lost everything to a hurricane for the second time in his life, Rankin said he will recover from this latest blow.
"I don't stay down for long at all. I get back up," he said. "Bigger, badder, smarter than I was before."