Nature’s fury
Hurricane becomes first major storm to hit US mainland in 12 years
A power generator tipping in front of Texas’ Christus Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, as Hurricane Harvey hits. The hurricane is the first major storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years.
Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast, unleashing torrents of rain and packing powerful winds as it became the first major storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years.
President Donald Trump granted Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s call to declare a “major disaster” zone in the state in order to speed federal aid to the millions in harm’s way.
The arrival of the storm – which was packing sustained winds of 215kph – was the first major domestic challenge for Trump, who the White House said would head to the affected region early next week.
“We can obviously tell already at this stage this is going to be a very major disaster,” a sombre Abbott said, as more than 1,000 National Guardsmen were activated to help with evacuation and recovery.
Indeed, the National Hurricane Center warned that “catastrophic flooding” was to be expected due to the massive amount of rain expected and the huge storm surge, which could reach nearly four metres in some places.
Meteorologists warned that tornadoes were possible from Texas into Louisiana, which was also expected to take a major hit from the storm.
Harvey, the first major storm of the annual Atlantic hurricane season, has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and crippled oil production in the Gulf.
Landfall came in the small town of Rockport, not far from Corpus Christi, which is a major hub for the US oil industry.
Rockport Mayor Patrick Rios had blunt words for those determined to stay, telling them to “mark their arm with a Sharpie pen, put their social security number” – to be identified if found dead.
Before the storm hit, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepositioned emergency supplies and authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders in many areas.
As he headed to the Camp David presidential retreat for the week- end with his family, Trump said: “Good luck to everybody.”
Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the mainland since Wilma struck Florida in 2005, could dump up to more than one metre of rain on the area over the next few days – and cause billions of dollars in damage.
The year 2005 was a huge one for hurricanes – before Wilma, Hurricane Katrina pummelled New Orleans, leaving more than 1,800 dead and becoming one of the greatest hiccups in the presidency of George W. Bush.
Coastal Texas is a fast-growing area, with some 1.5 million people moving into the area since 1999.
Authorities said the combination of dense growth and perhaps a year’s worth of rain falling in just four or five days could prove deadly. — AFP