Cajun Army volunteers who met during Harvey to wed in Texas

Couple who volunteered for Cajun Navy during Hurricane Harvey and met in Texas, to wed in Lone Star State. Photo taken Thursday, February 15, 2018 Kim Brent/The Enterprise

>> See some of the other unsung heroes of Hurricane Harvey... less Couple who volunteered for Cajun Navy during Hurricane Harvey and met in Texas, to wed in Lone Star State. Photo taken Thursday, February 15, 2018 Kim Brent/The Enterprise

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Somewhere between gutting houses and hauling off debris after Tropical Storm Harvey, two Cajun Army volunteers fell in love.

Richard Gibbs, a Louisiana sheriff's deputy, and Patricia Goddard, a Michigan accounting clerk, crossed paths as unexpectedly as the devastation that brought them together in this small corner of Texas.

It was always "love at first sight" for Richard, team leader for the Cajun Army in Hamshire. "I was very interested when I first met her," Richard said. "She just didn't know."

Richard said he arrived in Southeast Texas "the day after the storm." He originally came for search and rescue but remained in the area after most volunteer groups

had left. Richard said he's been home only three times in phe last six months. "I'm here until we're finished," he said.

It was mostly "a last-minute, spur of the moment thing" for Patty, who drove 1,200 miles from Alto, Michigan in November to gut houses wrecked by the August storm.

"It's hard work," Patty said, "but it's very rewarding seeing what you can do helping people."

When she left Texas for the first time to go back to Michigan, Patty said she knew she had to come back.

"That was before I even knew he was interested in me," she said of Richard.

While Patty planned to return by Christmas or New Year's Day, Richard was making other plans.

Patty said he asked for her phone number before she went home and sent her 400 texts a day.

Richard traveled to Michigan over the holidays, and the couple were engaged on Christmas.

"We are the first to meet and get married in the Cajun Army," Richard said proudly, smiling at his new bride. The couple was married on Feb. 9 in a Jefferson County district court.

Volunteering brought Richard and Patty together and, at least for the time being, is keeping them busy while they "pay back" their neighbors.

Richard is on leave from the sheriff's department in St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. Patty said she plans to retire from her job in the finance department at the City of Wyoming, Michigan. She wants to volunteer full-time with Richard.

"Texans come to Louisiana to help us, so it's just paying back. Helping a neighbor basically is what it is," Richard said. "You never know when you might need that pay yourself."

Richard and Patty are now gearing up for additional Cajun Army volunteers to join them as they serve Beaumont, Vidor, Orange, Rose City and surrounding communities.

"There's so much to be done in this area... it's not just the Houston area," Richard said. "I guess they figured this is a small place...but you've got a lot of areas here that need help."

Richard said he has been to some homes recently that haven't been touched since Harvey hit in August.

There's nothing like looking in a homeowner's eyes after helping them get back into their home, he said.

"We haven't gone anywhere. We're still here. We're still doing what we've been doing since Day 1," Richard said. The Cajun Army has met with 350 Southeast Texans, gutting from 80 to 90 homes and completing five debris removals, he said.

Richard said volunteer organizations have reached out to him to do similar work in Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba.

"We're figuring it all out as we go," Richard said. "Every day is a new adventure."

Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/phoebesuy17