HOUSTON – Many Houston police officers who were out during Harvey were not equipped with appropriate footwear, and they found out the hard way.

Now, nearly a thousand new pairs of boots will be in service, thanks to a generous donation.

No one appreciates a warm, dry pair of boots like Houston police officers.

On Wednesday, Cestus Boots donated nearly 1,000 pairs of rain boots to Houston police officers.

Senior Officer Rick Fernandez worked in flooded Kingwood during Harvey.

"While we were prepared for the worst, we weren't prepared for this. Without the support of everybody, of contributions like this. We didn't have rubber boots during the hurricane. If you only had one or two pair of shoes, that's what you had to go with," Fernandez said.

Fernandez and hundreds of other officers picked up the new yellow boots at the Houston Police Officers Union Hall near downtown Houston.

"Anytime someone comes up to us on the street and thanks us, shakes our hand, it means the world to our officers. But can you imagine when somebody donates to them a pair of $80 boots so they can be prepared for the next hurricane? It means the world to us," Joe Gamaldi, president-elect of HPOU, said.

Officers also got a free pair of gloves, which will come in handy right away.

The new boots will stay in their patrol cars for now, ready for the next time it rains.