Tropical Storm Harvey, a powerful storm that has ravaged several parts of Southern Texas, most especially Houston, has displaced over 30,000 citizens as it raged on over the weekend. The state is reporting that several people have died as well with rains expected to continue into Monday according to reports.
Local outlet Houston Chronicle has been closely following reports from the ground and from state officials, writing the following:
Tropical Storm Harvey hovered over Houston early Sunday and dumped 20 to 30 inches of rain on already saturated streets, killing at least five people and prompting evacuations of apartment complexes and dramatic rescues, according to the National Weather Service.
“It’s catastrophic, unprecedented, epic — whatever adjective you want to use,” said Patrick Blood, a NWS meteorologist. “It’s pretty horrible right now.”
As of 7 a.m., the weather service said August was the wettest month on record for the Houston area, with an average rainfall of nearly 23 inches, beating June 2011.
Coverage of the gigantic storm has exploded onto the international stage as many were reminded of the destructive nature of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. As it stands, over 450,000 people are expected to register for aid from FEMA and torrential rains on Monday are persisting which is hampering rescue efforts.
The images of large trucks floating in several feet of water highlight the magnitude of the disaster, with flash flood warnings expected well into the morning. The storm was downgraded to its current level from a category 4 hurricane but remains quite strong.
This story will develop.
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Photo: screen cap
