Joel Osteen's Houston Megachurch blasted for closing as thousands are displaced

Joel Osteen's Houston Megachurch

Hurricane Harvey has dumped over 30 inches of rain throughout parts of Southeast Texas since it made landfall on Friday evening. The storm and ensuing flooding have left at least 300,000 people without power and roughly 30,000 displaced to temporary shelters.

Thousands of people were still awaiting rescue as of Monday morning.

Dozens of Houston-area churches, schools and community centers opened their doors to offer temporary shelter to survivors, while other local houses of worship organized volunteer teams to help with relief efforts.

One church, however, drew criticism online for remaining shut. Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, a 16,800-seat indoor arena, announced on Facebook that it was “inaccessible due to severe flooding.”

The post included a long list of resources for those impacted by the storm, including the street addresses for nine temporary shelters in Houston and surrounding counties.

Osteen also posted prayers on social media over the weekend for those affected by the disaster.