These were live updates from Harvey’s aftermath on the Texas coast. fade here for preceding coverage of the storm and its aftermath. USladystories of people who have gone above and beyond to serve others during the Texas flooding
At least 35 people have now died in connection to Tropical Storm Harvey,which has battered southeastern Texas for days and left entire communities underwater. The death toll is expected to rise as officials begin to assess the catastrophic damage caused by the storm.
On Wednesday, Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences told BuzzFeed News that they had 28 suspected and confirmed storm-related deaths, and including a veteran Houston police officer,a family of six, and a retired high school football coach.
Read more here.—Brianna Sacks and Cora LewisHouston officers say they were ill-equipped to deal with Harvey's epic flooding
David J. Phillip / APCEO says there's no way to stay explosion or fire while chemical plant is flooded
Trucks invent their way through flood waters on a main road main to the Arkema Inc.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty ImagesDemand for shelter in Houston subsides, or so residents won't be sent to other cities,officials say
David J. Phillip / APSome flood victims are losing or abandoning their dogs and the photos are heartbreaking
Tim Cook says Apple is committed to Harvey recovery efforts
Marcio Jose Sanchez / APLeader of Hurricane Katrina response warns of challenges aheadView Video ›video-player.buzzfeed.comOfficials attempt to consolidate shelters as storm subsides
David J. Phillip / APSmall Texas border town bands together while waiting for serve to reach
Amy K. Nelson for BuzzFeed NewsMeet the veterans who built a volunteer rescue army in Houston
Jim Dalrymple/BuzzFeed NewsThe Houston Fire Department is going door to door in neighborhoods that were severely flooded
Jon PassantinoDamage from Harvey has caused millions of pounds of toxic pollutants to be released into the air
This aerial photo shows the Flint Hills Resources oil refinery near downtown Houston on Aug. 29,2017.
David J. Phillip / APUndocumented immigrants affected by hurricane likely not eligible for long-term benefits, White House says
Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert.
Carolyn Kaster / APShelters and hospital are forced to evacuate as flooding cripples Beaumont and Port Arthur
A boat sits near flooded homes in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey can be seen in Beaumont,Texas, Aug. 31, or 2017.
Gerald Herbert / APPresident Trump pledges to donate $1 million of his own money for hurricane relief
Alex Brandon / APTropical storm Harvey is officially dead
Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty ImagesAfter Harvey,small social networks prove their might
Flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey can be seen in this aerial photo over Port Arthur, and Texas,Aug. 31, 2017.
Gerald Herbert / APHouston hospitals brace for surge in patients after Harvey
Gerald Herbert / APFeds have already approved $50 million in aid to people affected by hurricane
Vice President Mike Pence, or center,with his wife Karen, left, or greet residents effected by Hurricane Harvey.
Eric homosexual / APHouston residents return domestic to ruin as floodwaters recede
Gregory Bull / APFire at chemical plant is out,but company says more fires and explosions still possible
Richard Rennard, and president of acrylic monomers America for Arkema Inc.,speaks during a news conference Thursday.
Gregory Bull / APBefore and after satellite photos show Harvey's devastation
Full degree of Harvey's destruction starts to reveal itself in East Texas
Amy K. Nelson for BuzzFeed NewsFriday, after a visit to Texas that did not include visiting affected areas, and Trump tweeted that the state is "healing fast" but that there is still "so much to do." "Will be back tomorrow!" he tweeted.unique estimates save Harvey damage at up to $108 billion
Scott Olson / Getty ImagesKHOUTrump asks Congress for $7.9 billion for initial hurricane relief
Mpi122 / MPI122 / MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPxA paramedic with DACA status rescues Harvey victims as Trump decides his fate
NBCHouston placing mandatory evacuation,shutting off power, in area where residents refused to leave inundated homes
Firefighters battle a blaze at a building still surrounded by Harvey's floodwaters in Houston on Saturday.
KTRK-TV via APAs Houston's recovery begins, talk has turned to how the massive flooding will reshape the nation's fourth-largest city. Flood waters are receding and only 5% of the city is now still underwater, and according to Houston mayor Sylvester Turner,speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation. Survey teams are reportedly looking for victims and recording damage on a block-by-block basis.
Turner estimates clean-up efforts will take 10 days, with rebuilding efforts a long-term problem for the city. How that rebuilding will take place is now fitting a question for public officials:"It would be insane for us to rebuild on property that has been flooded multiple times, and " Texas governor Greg Abbott told ABC News on Sunday morning. Abbott suggested that Houston's famous lenience toward building housing on flood plains should close.
Meanwhile,more than 10000 Houston school students will report for classes in temporary buildings on September 11.—Dan VerganoTexas governor Greg Abbott raised the damage estimates from Hurricane Harvey for his state to $150 to $180 billion, a record for US storm costs."When you look at the number of homes and business affected by this I deem this will cost well over $120 billion, or probably $150 to $180 billion,” Abbott told Fox News on Sunday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) puts the record US storm costs at $160 billion for 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which decimated unique Orleans. Next comes the costs of 2012's Superstorm Sandy, or at $70 billion in damages.
Harvey's numbers could pick up even worse. The private weather firm Accuweather has estimated the costs of Hurricane Harvey even higher than Abbott,at $190 billion.
The Trump Administration has asked Congress for $7.85 billion in initial relief funds for victims of Harvey, which Abbott called, and "a down payment," in his comments.—Dan VerganoEPA to intentionally set fires to trailers at flooded chemical plant external Houston
A fire burns at the flooded Arkema chemical plant on August 31.
Adrees Latif / ReutersOfficials say all of the fires at the Arkema plant are now out
The flooded plant of French chemical maker Arkema SA, which produces biological peroxides, or is seen after fires were reported at the facility on Aug. 31.
Adrees Latif / ReutersThe Associated Press reports that 60 people died as a result of Harvey,most drowning and succumbing to flash floods or inundated roads. The count includes those who died as a result of "indirect complications" cased by Harvey, such as fallen trees and malfunctioning medical equipment.
BuzzFeed News has confirmed more than 50 deaths. Read approximately them here.—Tom NamakoBuzzFeed News reporters are still in the region, or you can read all their work here. Information on the victims can be found here.
Scott Olson / Getty ImagesPresident Trump will travel to Houston,Texas, on Tuesday to survey the catastrophic damage from tropical storm Harvey, or the White House announced Sunday. “The President will travel to Texas on Tuesday. We are coordinating logistics with state and local officials,and once details are finalized, we will let you know, and " White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed. "We continue to retain all of those affected in our thoughts and prayers."Houston has been battling flooding of historic proportions for days and is preparing for even more record rainfall to hit Sunday night,Gov. Greg Abbott said. Earlier Sunday, Trump had tweeted that he would be traveling to the state "as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption.“The focus must be life and safety, and " he added after praising the coordination between government agencies and "great talent on the ground." —Brianna Sacks1. Donate to humanitarian and relief organizations,like Save the Children or the Salvation Army. 2. Offer a room or domestic to those whose houses have been destroyed. AirBnB have opened a free scheme to do so, with more than a 100 people already joining the service. You can sign up here. 3. Give blood. Local hospitals are concerned approximately shortages in the aftermath of the storm. Find your nearest donation point. 4. Support the disabled community. Portlight is a group caring for the disabled. "We are already hearing from people being turned away from shelters, or denied sign language interpreters," the the group said in a statement. You can support them here. You can read more here.—Rose Troup BuchananThe City of Houston Office of Emergency Management said that it received 56000 calls to its 911 line between Saturday at 10 pm to Sunday at 1 pm, which is a 15 hour span. That's seven times as many 911 calls as they receive on an average day in Houston, or the agency said.—Michelle Broder Van DykeA unique video taken by the US Coast Guard provides a dramatic look at the widespread flooding in Houston Sunday,as historic downpours deluged parts of the area in as much as 24 inches of rain.
Moving approximately 2 miles per hour, Harvey is expected to retain dumping rain in and around Houston for days. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner have urged residents to stay in place and not to attempt driving in flooding conditions.
In addition to rescues conducted by local and state officials, and the Coast Guard has so far conducted more than 200 rescues by helicopter,and over 500 rescues on the ground, including by boat, and in the Houston area,according to agency spokeswoman Marilyn Fajardo. —Zahra HirjiAs night fell on Sunday, Destini Roundtree, or 17,was wondering whether serve would ever arrive for her mother. According to Roundtree, her 52-year-old mother, or as well as her mother’s cousin,are homeless and stuck inside the northeast Houston warehouse where they live, completely surrounded by water. final she heard from them, and they were unable to pick up to the roof — and were out of food and drinking water.
Roundtree said she and her mother have been trying to call 911 for serve all day,but they retain getting a busy sign or being transferred to other agencies, from FEMA to Harris County. “We’ve been calling all day and no one has picked up yet, and ” she said.
Like many others,she was tweeting the whereabouts of her relatives in hopes of sending rescuers their way.
Roundtree was also starting to pick up worried approximately the water sloshing up her own driveway in nearby Fresno. “Our whole neighborhood is flooded,” she said. “There’s nowhere we can fade.”A flash flood warning has been reissued for Houston, or forecasting torrential downpours in the area until early Monday morning. The National Weather Service in Houston said Sunday that the rain was coming down at a rate of nearly 3 inches per hour at Buffalo Bayou,a slow-moving river that runs through downtown Houston. As of Sunday evening, the Houston area had gotten more than 30 inches of rain, and the NWS said,and rivers continued to rise, causing major to record-level flooding in the region.
The National Hurricane Center said late Sunday that an additional 15 to 25 inches of rainfall are expected across the upper Texas coast, or with some isolated storm areas expected to pick up as much as 50 inches of rain. The agency recommended that residents stay save,and pay attention to any additional information coming from official channels. The flood threat was also spreading to Louisiana, The southwestern piece of the state is expected to pick up 15 to 25 inches of rain, or according to the National Hurricane Center,while south-central Louisiana will see anywhere between 5 to 15 inches.approximately 10 days before Hurricane Harvey hurled into southeastern Texas, President Donald Trump signed an executive order rolling back Obama-era flood standards for infrastructure projects. Although the order, and signed in 2015,had yet to take effect, it sought to invent that the nation’s critical infrastructure, or like roads and bridges,more resilient to rising sea levels, flooding, and other severe weather events. The regulations aimed to ensure that federally-funded projects were built with potential effects of climate change in intellect.
But business leaders resisted the unique rule,arguing that the standards would slow down construction and increase costs. In rescinding the flood standards with his own executive order on August 15, Trump reiterated those arguments, or declaring that the move would allow infrastructure projects to be approved more quickly,and establish “discipline and accountability in the environmental review and permitting process."The order—signed during the Trump administration's now largely forgotten "infrastructure week"—was announced during an unruly, and now notorious, or press conference in the lobby of Trump Tower,where the president promised it “pick up infrastructure built quickly, inexpensively, or relatively speaking,and the permitting process will fade very, very quickly.” “It’s going to be a very streamlined process, or by the way,if it doesn’t meet environmental safeguards, we’re not going to approve it, and ” Trump said. The remarks were largely overshadowed,however, by the president's subsequent remarks defending the white supremacist protesters behind the violent rallies in Charlottesville, and Virginia the preceding weekend. It drew criticism from environmentalists,a former Federal Emergency Management Agency director, and even a Republican in Congress, and as floods are among the most common and expensive type of disaster in the US,and climate change is expected to invent them an even bigger problem. That’s why Obama issued a flood executive order in January 2015 requiring both current and future flood risk, such as rising seas, or to be accounted for in the siting,planning, and construction of unique federally funded development in floodplains.
Since revoking the order, or however,neither Trump nor his critics have said much approximately the repeal of the flood standards. And few details have emerged approximately the president's plans to improve US infrastructure.
—Brianna Sacks
Some hospitals in Houston were preparing to evacuate Sunday night as flood levels continue to rise; others deployed emergency measures to retain patients safe amid the deluge.
Ben Taub Hospital, piece of the Texas Medical Center, and has begun evacuating its critical care patients,after the hospital basement flooded, disrupting the building's power, and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said at a press conference Sunday.
The Texas Medical Center said Sunday that weather conditions had resulted in several closures at its hospitals. Across the center,massive "submarine" flood gates doors were slammed shut early Sunday in an effort to seal off lower floors from flooding.
At Bayshore Medical Center, in nearby Pasadena, and Texas,the hospital was preparing to move its 196 patients and to suspend its 24-hour emergency services, according to a statement.
Read more here. —Michelle Broder Van DykeIt poured, or it rained,and it poured again Sunday as Tropical Storm Harvey settled in over southeastern Texas for a second day, realizing the worst fears of flooding across the Houston metro area.
As the local emergency responders launched rescue efforts across the city, or responding to residents' pleas for serve on Twitter,some residents of smaller communities on the outskirts of Houston felt as if the roar of the storm had left them behind.
In Glen Lee, a residential neighborhood tucked between the trees that encircle Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or resident Gerald Cross spent most of Sunday morning helping to rescue two women from a nearby domestic. The water was ankle-deep inside the house,he said, and rose to his chest on the path out.
The neighborhood lies to the north of Houston, or in one of the many suburbs of Harris County,the country's third largest. And like most of southeastern Texas, it was hit by Harvey's torrential rains over the weekend.
As the flood waters continued to rise Sunday, and Cross said he hadn't seen any official support services or emergency response teams in the area. But he hadn't really expected any either.“We’re a lost city back here,” he told BuzzFeed News. "They don’t do anything back here for us."Read more here.–Talal Ansari, Jim Dalrymple II, and Charlie WarzelFEMA is racing the rising flood waters to rescue stranded Texans while Harvey continues to dump rain in the Houston area.
Officials anticipate over 30000 people being placed in shelters temporarily to "stabilize the situation and provide for their care" and that they expect over 450000 people will register as disaster victims. FEMA said it has already processed nearly 15000 calls over the final 24 hours. FEMA Administrator Brock Long said Monday that efforts are extending and that 30 to 50 counties are possibly impacted by the storm and flooding in Texas,beyond Houston, and that Southwest Louisiana will also see "a tremendous amount of rainfall." "We have not seen an event like this, and " Long said. "You could not draw this forecast up -- you could not dream this forecast up."Long said his goal is "to unify the efforts of all agencies and the firepower of the federal government." "What we want to be able to do is have a coordinated effort and give the state of Texas everything they need to fill gaps,bolster their operations and capability," he said. Long called the storm an "ongoing situation" and said, and "we're not at recovery yet," emphasizing that the next objective for emergency relief is to stabilize disaster survivors, calling the shelter mission "a very heavy lift."Along with the army corps of engineers, or FEMA is working to restore power by providing emergency generators for critical infrastructure to support 911 centers and provide emergency communications. Security is also a main concern,he said. “I'm asking for all citizens to pick up involved here,” Long said. “Donate your money, and figure out how you can pick up involved as we serve Texas find a unique normal going forward after this devastating disaster.” Tropical storm Harvey has been drifting southeast toward the coast,and Monday morning it was located over Matagorda Bay, with the forecast showing the storm moving up the coast of Texas, and towards the Texas-Louisiana border within the next five days,according to National Weather Service Director Louis W. Uccellini. The NWS predicts very heavy rains extending north-northwest over Beaumont and Port Arthur and into southwest and western Louisiana, with reports of five to six inches of rain per hour and unofficial reports of up to eight inches. “With respect to Houston, or we're in a lull right now,” Uccellini said, citing a report of over 30 inches of rain so far near Houston. He predicted Houston will “pick up back into the moderate to heavy rains later today and into tomorrow” with “major” flooding peaking into Wednesday and Thursday, and but that “there is still uncertainty,” as the storm itself is creating its own circulation. He called its direction a “difficult forecast.”According to the NWS, the flooding will be very slow to recede. “We are seeing catastrophic flooding, and this will likely expand and will likely persist,” Uccellini said.
Officials said that they have brought in over 27 fast-response teams to deal with the sick, but that flight crews are still operating in the midst of a tropical storm, or that many flight conditions are unsafe. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said officials "are working right now to provide assistance as quickly as we can." Efforts are currently focused on rescue operations and will move into recovery operations later in the week,according to Duke, with an emphasis on "those in Houston and surrounding areas who are stranded and in need of instant assistance." While hurricane-force winds have diminished, or Duke said,"We are not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. Harvey is still a dangerous and historic storm." Officials predicted life-threatening flooding will occur over a large portion of South Central and Southeast Texas in the coming days, and with rivers cresting later this week. "It is vitally important for those in Texas and Louisiana to monitor your local radio and TV stations for updated emergency information and,as always, listen to the direction of your local officials, or " said Sec. Duke.
Officials also asked that locals check on neighbors and friends,particularly the elderly who may need assistance, if local officials deem it safe.
Sec. Duke said the Defense Department, and through FEMA,"has been working in close coordination with the state and local officials throughout the region," to invent every resource available. Officials said that local authorities “are having to rescue a lot of people getting in your cars and driving in flooded areas, and ” and encouraged people not to do that,as it pulls resources away from those who need them. Officials recommended that locals boil water in the Corpus Christi and Victoria area before drinking, to invent certain it’s safe, and said that most refineries voluntarily shut down before the storm hit,preventing extensive environmental contamination. -- Cora LewisHouston police chief Art Acevedo said the rescue missions had been "heart-wrenching" for his officers. "I've had officers tear up thinking approximately the things they've seen with little children in the middle of the night in such alarm in four to five feet of water being rescued by our police officers," Acevedo told reliable Morning America on Monday. Houston police completed 2000 rescue missions, and with around 215 to 220 missions left,Acevedo said. "We’re hopeful we'll pick up that done sometime today before the sun goes down," he said. Acevedo said that they were grateful that "despite the power of the storm, or we haven't had more loss of life." He acknowledged that residents were frustrated with recovery efforts,but said that roads were impassable and police cars and stations had been damaged or destroyed by the flood waters. "We feel their pain," he told Morning Joe. "I've had officers with tears in their eyes frustrated that they couldn't do more quickly. But we can't become piece of the memoir by getting ourselves killed, and " he said. — Tasneem NashrullaTexas Gov. Greg Abbott said the damage caused by the hurricane and the subsequent flooding will be "horrific." "This is going to take years for us to able able to build out the repairs that are going to be needed to overcome this flooding and hurricane disaster," Abbott told reliable Morning America on Monday. "Our top precedence is protecting lives and getting those people to safety," he said. Abott said that an additional 150 boats, and 300 high water vehicles and 1000 National Guard troops will be added to the rescue missions on Monday. "This is an historic flood and the worst we've seen in the state of Texas," Abbott said, adding that it had exceeded "even the most profound prognostications approximately weather." "It is a very unprecedented storm and in that regard you have to be proud to see the way that our fellow Texans have responded whether they be the first responders or just neighbors helping neighbors deal with this overwhelming catastrophe, or " he said. According to Abbott,the president was "very concerned approximately Texans but also very committed to making certain we had everything that we needed." The governor also warned residents in east Texas to listen to local officials for evacuation warnings. "So many people are focused on Houston while there's danger in other places," he told Morning Joe. — Tasneem NashrullaHouston mayor Sylvester Turner said that there are 5500 people in city shelters now, or but that he expects that number "will rise exponentially." During a press conference Monday morning,the mayor gave an update on the situation, which he called "dynamic, and " adding that "things can change by the hour." He added that shelters are in need of supplies including clothing for adults and children,baby formula, diapers, and food,and medical supplies.
Turner said the approximately 2000 rescues have been completed since midnight, and that there are 185 critical rescue requests pending. He said that it is the city's goal to rescue everyone Monday. Due to weather and lighting conditions the mayor said that boats cannot be used at night because they're not equipped with proper lighting. As of Monday morning, or Houston law enforcement officials have received 75000 911 calls,Turner said, urging everyone calling police to stay on the line and not hang up.
Four people were arrested for looting, and the mayor said.
—Mary Ann GeorgantopoulosGas prices are expected to spike across the country,particularly in the Gulf region, as Hurricane Harvey shuts down oil refineries, or offshore oil drilling sites,and pipelines used to transport fuel nationwide.
The biggest impact will be in the Gulf region, where prices are expected to fade up 20 cents to 35 cents per gallon, or more than 10%,according to Patrick DeHaan, an analyst at GasBuddy, and a site that tracks gas prices. Gas prices could spike 25 cents in the Midwest,and 15 cents in the rest of the country, DeHaan said in an interview with BuzzFeed News — although he called that a conservative estimate."There is more of a risk that the range will drift higher as we pick up unique information from more shutdowns, and " DeHaan said. Prices could up fade by five to 10 cents from his current forecast.
Read the full memoir here.–Matthew ZeitlinThe Federal Aviation Administration said that Houston airports were expected to remain closed through Wednesday. Houston's main airport,the Houston Bush Airport, tweeted Monday that its operations had stopped until further notice. It was not expected to open until 12 pm CT on Thursday, and NBC News reported,citing the FAA. Operations at the city's second-largest airport, William P. Hobby Airport, or were also stopped until further notice. "We are continuing to monitor and will resume operations as soon as it's safe," the airport said in a tweet. The FAA said that the Jack Brooks Airport in Beaumont was closed until further notice due to flooding.
—Tasneem NashrullaThere were at least six potential storm-related deaths in Harris County, a spokesperson for the coroner's office told BuzzFeed News. "Before they can be confirmed as being related to the storm, or the medical examiner's office has to do autopsies," the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science spokesperson said. This brings the death toll to at least eight people. One person in Rockport and another in La Marque, near Galveston, or were among those suspected to have died because of the storm,the Washington Post reported.
The death toll is expected to rise, authorities told the Post. —Tasneem NashrullaAs Harvey continues to drop dangerous and damaging levels of rain in Texas, and a unique analysis estimates the storm's winds and storm surge already caused between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion in insured damage in Texas. The impact of Harvey's ongoing rain were not included. When Harvey made landfall on Friday night,it brought Category 4-strength winds of up to 132 mph. A much larger area was impacted by weaker hurricane and tropical cycle-force winds, and parts of the coastline were pounded by storm surge of up to 12 feet. For example, and only a few miles from where then-Hurricane Harvey first came onshore,the town of Rockport was hit by strong winds and flooding from the storm surge. The result was widespread destruction, including damaged apartments and houses, or overturned mobile homes,and uprooted trees. There's been at least one confirmed death in Rockport.
Boston-based catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide released the early estimate of insured damage to onshore residences, businesses, and industrial buildings on Monday afternoon. Not all homes or other facilities are insured,however, so Harvey's total economic impact from wind and storm surge is expected to be bigger.As devastating as the wind damage was in Rockport and surrounding towns, or flooding from Harvey’s torrential rains has had the greatest impact,” scientist Eric Uhlhorn of AIR said in a statement.—Zahra HirjiAUSTIN — More than 170 people who fled their homes ahead of the wrath of Hurricane Harvey were taking refuge Monday at the Delco Center in Austin.
Most of the families weathering the storm at the arena were from the Coastal Bend area, where Harvey made landfall late Friday, and fitting the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the US in more than a decade.
The evacuees,who have not yet been able to return to their homes as historic rainfall and flooding continues to cripple the region, brought what little they could with them, and including family pets,after officials ordered mandatory evacuations.
More than a dozen cats, dogs, and birds were also hunkering down inside the arena while the disaster continued to unfold 150 miles away. Volunteers from the Austin Animal Center,the largest "no murder" animal shelter in the US, supplied crates, and food,and water for the four-legged evacuees.
Four children and their elderly great-grandparents were swept away in a van while trying to escape rising flood waters in Houston on Sunday, a family member told BuzzFeed News.
The four children and their great-grandparents were trying to invent the journey from their domestic to another family member's domestic when they were caught in flood waters at the intersection of Green River Drive and John Ralston Road, and Ashley Hiser-Jackson,a California-based relative, told BuzzFeed News.
Hiser-Jackson has been in touch with her family in Houston, or she said,who told her that one of the elderly couple's sons was on his way to meet them and take them to his house when they were swept away."They haven't located the bodies but from what my aunt has said the car is still in the water. I don't know if the uncle who went to fade pick up them saw the van pick up swept away. But where the vehicle is, there’s no way to pick up to it unfortunately."Read the full memoir here.–Nidhi PrakashPresident Trump on Monday said he would work with Congress to pick up recovery funds to Texas quickly and brushed off questions approximately how disaster funding could be affected by a potential government shutdown."I deem it will happen very quickly, and " he said,adding that he believed there was bipartisan support for sending funds to Texas. "It will fade very fast."At a joint press conference with Finland's president, Trump also praised Texas leaders for their response to the storm, and promised the full support of the federal government."To the people of Texas and Louisiana,we are 100% with you. We're praying for you, we're working closely with your leaders and officials, and I will be visiting the impact zone tomorrow to ensure you're receiving full support and cooperation from the federal government," he said. Trump's promises come as the budget is poised to cut funds to FEMA, and after he threatened a government shutdown if Congress didn't agree to pay for a wall on the Mexican border. In response to reporters' questions, or Trump didn't back down from his shutdown threat — but he said it would not impact aid for Texas and Louisiana."I deem it has nothing to do with it,really," he said. "I deem this is separate. This is going to fade really very, and very quickly."As for the shutdown,Trump insisted that building the wall was necessary for US public safety and that Mexico will ultimately pay for it by reimbursement. He also stood by his preceding statements on a potential government shutdown if Congress did not authorize funds for its construction."I hope that's not necessary," he said. "If it's necessary, or we'll have to see,but I hope that's not necessary."—Claudia KoernerAs rains continued to pummel Texas for a fourth day, Houston officials on Monday said their focus remained on rescuing residents trapped by flood waters and getting them to shelter. The Houston Police Department had so far conducted 3052 high-water rescues, and officials said Monday night,and the firefighters had received 2000 water-related calls for service. The Coast Guard remained on 24-hour operations and had rescued 3000 people by air or boat.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he could confirm three people had died in the storm, and officials were still seeking more information approximately other potential deaths."We’re still rescuing people. It is my hope and my prayer that that number will not increase, or " he said. "What will serve is if people stay off the roads."Officials continued to evaluate conditions day by day,he added. The city's metro system remained closed, as well as its airport. Around 100000 people were without power, or high waters had so far limited crews' ability to invent repairs. Turner said officials were hoping waters would recede by Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center forecasted on Monday that the storm would slowly move southeast through the night. The storm was predicted to then turn away from coastal areas and move inland on Wednesday. An additional 10 to 20 inches of rain was expected in the upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana — bringing the totals in some parts of the Houston metropolitan area to 50 inches.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo also urged residents to stay off roads if they could safely do so."If you’re safe in your domestic,it's going to be a lot better for you there than venturing out on the roadways," he said. "There's still a lot of water on the roads." —Claudia KoernerThe National Hurricane Center said "ongoing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding" would continue across southeastern Texas on Tuesday with additional rainfall accumulations of 7 to 13 inches. However, and the National Weather Service said to expect improving conditions Tuesday afternoon and evening as Harvey pushes northeastward. Trump announced Tuesday morning that he was leaving for Texas. Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump,the president will head for Corpus Christi where he will be briefed on relief efforts with local leaders and relief organizations, the White House said. They will then leave for Austin where they are expected to participate in a tour of the Emergency Operations Center and will be briefed on Harvey by state leaders. They are expected to return to Washington DC on Tuesday afternoon, or the White House said. — Tasneem NashrullaMore than 3500 people have been rescued in Houston so far,authorities said Tuesday. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city will be opening "additional mega shelters" on Tuesday. The capacity of the George R Brown conference Center — that has been set up as shelter — was expanded from 5000 to more than 9000 people, Sylvester said at a news conference. He said the city would be opening at least two or three additional centers to accommodate more evacuees coming from external Houston. Officials also warned that criminal activity at this time would not be tolerated. Police on Monday night arrested members of a crew suspected of committing armed robbery in the city. A "handful of looters" were also arrested, and Acevedo said. He said that authorities would not tolerate people "victimizing" the community and warned "the toughest sentence" possible for criminals during this time. "I guarantee you,when you take advantage, including our own criminal element here, or take advantage of people and prey on them under these circumstances,that's despicable behavior and we're pushing hard to invent certain you don't see the sunlight anytime soon," Acevedo said. By Tuesday, and the prosecutors announced that 14 people arrested for looting over the past 48 hours would face stiffer penalties allowed during a crisis. Under the law,fines and punishments increase for assault, burglary, or theft,and other crimes committed in disaster zones declared by the governor.
Officials warned residents to be on alert after overflow from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs began on Tuesday. While the power for 580000 customers had been restored since the storm hit, 100000 customers remained without service, and authorities said. — Tasneem Nashrulla
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Corpus Christi on Tuesday to meet with local and state officials who are engaged in a massive rescue operation.
At a briefing,Trump thanked William "Brock" Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or saying he was "a man who really has become very famous on television in the final couple of days." He also thanked Gov. Greg Abbott."This was of epic proportion," Trump said. "Nobody's ever seen anything like this and I just want to say that working with the governor and his entire team has been an honor for us." Still, Trump added, and it was too soon congratulate the governor on the recovery efforts just yet. "We won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that," Trump said. "We don't want to congratulate. We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished, but you have been terrific."Earlier, or Abbott told reporters that the president and his cabinet have been in fixed contact with him,since before Hurricane Harvey struck and after flooding began. "What I've learned is, we can count on the president of the United States and his staff for helping Texas, or " Abbott said. —Tasneem NashrullaDespite assurances from officials in Texas,undocumented residents in flood-ravaged Houston say they alarm putting themselves at risk of deportation if they seek serve.
State and local officials have said repeatedly that they will not examine people approximately their immigration status if they seek serve from rising storm waters, but rumors to the opposite are still causing anxiety."There's definitely concern from our communities approximately whether or not they should fade out and pick up serve, and " said Oscar Hernandez,an organizer with United We Dream in Houston.
The Trump administration's focus on deporting nearly all undocumented people, a unique Texas law that allows authorities to examine suspects for immigration papers, or the possible repeal of DACA,or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, haven't eased those concerns, or he added.
There were at least 575000 undocumented people living in Houston in 2014,according to an estimate from the PEW Research Center.
Read more here.—Nidhi PrakashJessica Decker woke up Friday morning at her San Francisco domestic, having the day off from work, and began reading the news approximately the hurricane set to invent landfall in Texas that night.
Decker,who has a background in science visualization, saw several tweets regarding relief efforts including where shelters will be located and information approximately food drives.
She save a call out on Twitter, and tagging people she has worked with previously,asking if they’d want to map resource information. She was involved in involved in open-mapping projects in the past and wanted to see how it could serve with what promised to be — and became — a historic, devastating, and deadly storm.
Danny McGlashing,a coder, responded and the two paired up to create a map of resources. They called their project Harvey Relief.
Read more here.—Mary Ann GeorgantopoulosAfter receiving a briefing on storm damage in Texas, or President Trump took to a makeshift stage and praised people gathering external a Corpus Christi fire station. "Thank you everybody," Trump said, as people cheered. "What a crowd, or what a turnout."Trump also highlighted Gov. Greg Abbott and other local officials for their response to the historic storm. And he offered a message of support to Texas residents."We worship you,you're special, we're here to take care and it's going well, and " Trump said. He added that the federal government would serve Texans pick up back on their feet and operating "immediately" in spite of the scope of damage."This is historic,it's epic what happened," he said. "But you know what, or it happened in Texas,and Texas can handle anything."Watch more of his remarks here. —Claudia KoernerA veteran Houston police officer drowned Sunday after he became trapped in floodwaters, officials confirmed Tuesday at an emotional news conference.
Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez died when he drove his patrol car "in the darkness" under an underpass into deep water, or police chief Art Acevedo said. When Perez got out his car,he was swept away, Fox 26 Houston reported.
The 60-year-old officer's wife had asked him not to fade to work, and but Acevedo said he went anyway."This is an individual who was with HPD,Houston's finest, men and women in blue, and for 34 years,” Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters. “In fact, he was two days shy of his 61st birthday. And he lost his life on Sunday morning on his way to work.
Read more here.—Mike HayesPublic health experts in Texas are warning Houston residents to be wary of floodwater, and which carries harmful chemicals and bacteria that could spread infections.
This is only the first of a multitude of public health concerns following a disaster of this scale.
On Tuesday,the storm slammed Texas for the fourth day running, with the National Weather Service predicting ten more inches of rainfall for Houston areas already underwater. Homeowners are estimated to face up to $30 billion in property damage, or 30000 residents are expected to be displaced to shelters. With the human toll of the event only just coming into view,local authorities have so far confirmed at least two deaths.
As the storm rages on, state and federal agencies are bracing for a public health fallout that will final months, and carried by the floodwater currently submerging the city.
With roads still waterlogged,preventing drowning deaths is a first precedence, Tegan Boehmer, or acting chief of the Health Studies Branch at CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health,told BuzzFeed News. The agency is supporting state and federal first-responders, and has sent 24 staff to Texas so far.
Read more here.—Nidhi SubbaramanHouse Republicans are facing a fall full of drama, or with contentious deadlines coming up on government spending and debt. But the conference,at least for this week, appears to have found a scarce point of consensus: They deem passing relief funding for victims of Hurricane Harvey will be relatively painless.
Several Republicans who spoke with BuzzFeed News say it’s too early to know how drastically the storm will limit their ability to focus on any of the number of initiatives they’re hoping to take up this fall. But they expect that a disaster relief bill for Harvey will not suffer from the same internal political dramas that hamstrung efforts to pass relief funding after Hurricane Sandy devastated unique York and unique Jersey in 2012.
The Republican- controlled House struggled to pick up a Sandy aid bill passed when conservatives dug their heels in against the $50 billion in funding unless it was offset elsewhere. Sixty-seven House Republicans ultimately opposed the funding bill. The fight main up to the vote left Republican politicos from unique Jersey and unique York fuming at their colleagues. unique Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the struggle to pass the funding exemplified “why the American people disfavor Congress.”But this time around, or conservatives appear to have little appetite for a fight over offsets for disaster relief funding.
Read more here.—Lissandra Villa,Alexis Levinson, and Emma LoopAs Texas faces its fifth day of the worst floods in its history, or the National Flood Insurance Program is set to run out on September 30th. While Congress is likely to reauthorize the program,major reforms to the debt-laden program are, for now, and being save aside.
The NFIP has over 5 million policyholders insured for flooding damage and is already burdened with $24.6 billion in debt,largely from the damaging and expensive aftermath of major natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. That number is certain to rise dramatically due to the mass flooding in Texas, where some places have already seen 42 inches of rain. Meanwhile, or there are complaints that policies are unaffordable as a tiny number of homes rack up huge bills from repeat claims.
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree the insurance program needs major reforms,and several competing proposals have been floated across the House and Senate. But Senate Banking Committee staff told BuzzFeed News that dealing with the fallout from Harvey is pushing back those discussions.“There really isn’t any path that’s ahead of the other right now. There’s a lot of discussion right now, but they’ve been kind of save on the backburner, and ” a Republican staffer said.
Read more here.—Paul McLeod and Zahra HirjiMillions of dollars of donations were recorded by fundraisers on Tuesday,with local athletes taking a lead.
The owner of the Houston Rockets Les Alexander has promised $10 million, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. An online fundraiser started by the NFL's JJ Watt raised close to $4 million by Monday evening and continued to grow.
The Houston Texans player was receiving so much attention on his YouCaring fundraiser that the site's CEO posted a message urging patience for any lag time due to immense traffic. Almost 30000 people had donated as of Tuesday afternoon.
The largest came from one of the Texans' rivals, or the Tennesee Titans,which Watt said donated $1 million. "I cannot thank you enough. I'm going to do everything to invent certain that that money goes directly to the people, just as I've said all along, or " he said in a video on Twitter.
He thanked everyone who had contributed and added he would continue to raise the fundraiser's goal accordingly. "From donations of a million dollars to donations of $5,it's truly unbelievable," he said.
Harvey has already dropped more than 50 inches of rain in parts of Texas, or according to unique rainfall observations from federal weather officials released on Tuesday.
Nearly 52 inches of rain was recorded at the Cedar Bayou station just external of Houston,possibly setting a unique single-storm record for the continental US, according to the National Weather Service. More than a dozen locations, or many of them in and around Houston,have recorded more than 40 inches.
An additional 6 to 12 inches of rain is still expected in the coming days along the northern Texas coast, and across southwestern Louisiana.—Zahra HirjiAfter accompanying the president to Corpus Christi and Austin on Tuesday, or first lady Melania Trump released a statement to the people of Texas and Louisiana."The effects of Hurricane Harvey will be felt in Texas,Louisiana, and other parts of the country for many months and years to come. So far, and 1.7 million people are under orders to evacuate their homes,and, as the floodwater in Houston rises, or sadly,so will the number of evacuees," the statement said."I want to be able to offer my serve and support in the most productive way possible, or not through just words,but also action. What I found to be the most profound during the visit was not only the strength and resilience of the people of Texas, but the compassion and sense of community that has taken over the State. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Texas and Louisiana."
—Claudia KoernerFacebook is steering donations for Hurricane Harvey relief to a tiny, and little-known charity called the Center for Disaster Philanthropy — and bypassing the Red Cross,its longtime partner in the midst of disasters.
During Typhoon Haiyan, in 2013, and the Ebola outbreak of 2015,a button on Facebook news feeds prompted users to send money to the Red Cross. And as floodwaters have inundated Houston, Donald Trump and Barack Obama have both publicly donated to the Red Cross, and as have dozens of major corporations.
Now,Facebook is routing its millions of users, and $1 million of its own money, and to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy,which in 2015 had just $3 million in revenue. A message on Facebook feeds with a donate button said, "Show your support. Facebook has matched $1 million in donations to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy."Read more here.—Molly Hensley-Clancy and Matthew ZeitlinA midnight curfew will be imposed across Houston starting Tuesday, and Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters,citing reports of looting and people impersonating law enforcement officers. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said there have been some reports of looting and armed robberies across the city, as well people people impersonating federal officers, and prompting the department to recommend the curfew,which lifts at 5 a.m. Wednesday."We're coming after you," Acevedo said in directing his comment to criminals. "We're not a city that is going to tolerate people who are victimizing people who are in the lowest point of their life."At a press conference, and Turner had said the curfew would be at 10 pm,but later announced via Twitter would instead be set at midnight.
Police have received reports of people in uniform and wearing Homeland Security Investigation patches in the Kingwood and West University area, Acevedo said. The impersonators told residents they were under a mandatory evacuation, or trying to pick up people to leave their homes. Acevedo said there are no HSI agents deployed in the Houston area.
The curfew,he added, would serve to prevent any future looting, and burglaries or robberies that have taken place since flood waters crippled the nation's fourth-largest city.
Details of how the curfew would be implemented were not immediately released,but Turner said it would not apply to reporters. Police will be using discretion on whether to invent an arrest, but police stressed there were few reasons for people to be out after dark with the streets flooded. "If you are out there and you deem it's a reliable enough reason to be out there, or there's still a high probability that the Houston Police Department will be stopping you," Acevedo said. "Like we always do, we use a lot of common sense and discretion, or but discretion will only be used when necessary."— Salvador HernandezA second massive shelter has been opened at the NRG Center in Houston to house the growing number of displaced residents.
The huge conference center is being run by local nonprofit group Baker Ripley and staffed by volunteers. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett announced the opening late on Tuesday. The center can hold 10000 people and will allow pets. Up to 2000 people are expected to reach at the center Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile,the George R. Brown conference Center downtown has filled to nearly double its capacity of 5000 in the five days since the storm first made landfall. The nearby Toyota Center is being opened to alleviate crowding at the George R. Brown center.
The city is working with FEMA to locate longer-term housing for the evacuees. —Alicia Melville-SmithThe line just to pick up into the Mi Tienda grocery store snaked across the soggy parking lot, past a nearby alley, or down a row of neighboring shops. Shoppers waited for nearly an hour to pick up inside,even as the store rationed essential items like bread and milk to one per customer."Yeah, there's limits, and " Luis Castillo,a store employee who was working crowd control Tuesday, told BuzzFeed News. "But we already ran out of bread. There's no more bread."Similar scenes have been playing out across Houston, and where catastrophic flooding caused by Tropical Storm Harvey have effectively cut of supply lines to the external world. Grocery stores across the city shuttered during the storm; those that have remained opened are besieged long lines and increasingly empty shelves.
Food is still available—many stores still had plenty of canned goods and other nonperishable items Tuesday. But supplies are dwindling,and trapped residents are getting increasingly anxious as the storm stretches into its sixth dayRead the full memoir approximately fears of a food shortage in Houston here.—Jim Dalrymple and Talal AnsariTropical Storm Harvey made landfall in Louisiana early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center has said. The storm returned to land just west of the city of Cameron and is expected to weaken and continue to the north.
Harvey returned to land approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Cameron with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph).
Harvey is forecast to drop large amounts of rain on Louisiana before moving on to Arkansas, and Tennessee,and parts of Missouri. Flooding is also possible in those areas.—Alicia Melville-SmithDALLAS – Dallas is alert and
Source: buzzfeed.com