As people in Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean go about rebuilding their lives in the wake of two devastating hurricanes, there have been so many individual stories that our reporters have been working nonstop, sleeping in cars and vans. 

I’d also like to call attention to some of the great stories told by other news sites. There have been tales of courage and heroism, such as the Houston Chronicle’s saga of five people caught in the flood. And there are stories of perseverance and fortitude. Take this Washington Post story about residents of the US Virgin Islands, whose homes were flattened during hurricane Irma and who face months without electricity. They want to be sure rescuers help the people “who really need it” first.

There are also moments of grace, as with this New York Times story about three coffee cups.

Houston resident Shirley Hines lost a lot in the flood, including the Fitz & Floyd cups that were her late mother’s. “When I was really feeling down, I’d get one and drink me some coffee,” she told a Times reporter.

Touched, a Maryland woman found three identical cups – the only ones the manufacturer could find for sale – and sent them to Texas.

“I desperately wanted to replace that broken cup,” Ann Dahms writes, talking about the world not just being a place of trouble but of “great strength, dignity, and personal courage. That’s what I wanted to honor.”

And so do we.

Now, here are our five stories for today.