Video of pastor playing piano in his Harvey-flooded home goes viral

Aric Harding, a pastor and songwriter in Houston, Texas, was one of the thousands affected by the floods caused by Hurricane Harvey. After returning home on Thursday to collect toys for his children, he decided to test out the piano. The pastor wanted to reassure his son, who is keen on playing the piano, that the instrument still worked. He posted the footage on Instagram, and it instantly went viral.

Pastor plays piano with water almost up to his knees

The video on Instagram shows the pastor playing a haunting tune on the piano, while his legs are firmly planted in the murky flood water which has invaded his living room.

Harding’s 13-year-old son was the reason for the video footage, as Harding wanted to reassure him that the piano was OK and that everything would be alright following the disaster.

When the floodwaters from the hurricane began filling their home a few days before, the family had no choice but to evacuate. However, on Thursday, Harding returned to the house to collect some of the stuffed animals and games belonging to his seven children, to give them a little comfort and reassurance. He ended up sitting at the piano, with the water almost up to his knees, and played while his friend captured the moment on video.

As reported by the Star-Telegram, people from all over the world who spotted the video on Instagram told Harding that his gentle piano playing gave them a little timeout from other news of Houston’s floods.

Responding to their messages, Harding said he was just doing something simple, but added it is awesome that his video is making a difference to the people.

The New York Post reports that in the caption to the Instagram video, Harding said the whole thing is finally “sinking in” and that the city they used to have, is gone after the flooding.

However the Houston pastor does believe God has a plan.

Meanwhile, the water has receded and members of the congregation at the pastor’s church have gotten together with other local residents to help clear out the water-soaked interior of Harding’s home. According to the pastor, his front yard now resembles “an apocalypse” with all the flooring and soaked furniture piled around.

While Harding and the family realize they won’t be able to return home for several months, they are now taking comfort from the way the community is rallying around to help victims of the flooding. He said he’s met so many people he had never managed to chat with before and with whom he has had real conversations. Harding added that the disaster will change Houston forever.

However, while everyone else enjoyed the video of Harding playing the piano, the pastor's son reportedly chuckled, telling his father the piano was now out of tune. Harding responded that they will probably get a new one in the future, as he has had plenty of offers since publishing the video.

In other heart-warming news out of the Houston area, a local Pizzahut hit the headlines after delivering piping hot pizzas to affected residents, by kayak. A photo of a resourceful German Shepherd mix dog, strolling the streets of Sinton, Texas, with a full bag of dog food firmly in his jaws, went viral.