Floods claim six family members
TEXAS: BODIES PLUCKED FROM RECEDING WATERS
Two explosions at flooded chemical plant caused by power outage.
Houston
New proof of the devastation wrought by monster storm Harvey has emerged as the bodies of six family members were plucked from receding waters in Texas and emergency officials reported two explosions at a flooded chemical plant.
The plume of fumes after the explosions were described as “incredibly dangerous”, by Brock Long, head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The explosions were reported overnight at the chemical plant in the town of Crosby and officials have ordered residents within three kilometers of the facility to evacuate.
The operators of the organic peroxides plant also warned they “fully expect” more fires. They said “exposure to organic peroxides may cause eye, skin and/or respiratory irritation”.
The good news was that clouds were parting in America’s fourth-largest city yesterday, bringing a welcome respite after the storm turned roads into rivers. But rural areas of Texas were drenched as Harvey headed eastwards, with the city of Port Arthur especially hard hit.
Authorities in neighbouring Louisiana had scrambled to safeguard their state from the impact of Harvey, whose onslaught evoked painful memories of Hurricane Katrina’s deadly strike 12 years ago – but New Orleans escaped with minimal rain.
Taking advantage of a lull in the rainfall in Houston, rescuers recovered the bodies of six family members from a van which was swept away by the floods over the weekend.
Manuel and Belia Saldivar and four of their great-grandchildren, ranging from six to 16 years in age, went missing on Sunday.
“Our worst fears have been realised,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told a press conference, confirming all six bodies had been found inside the van.
So far, officials believe at least 33 people have been killed in the storm and there is little doubt the toll will rise further – although many of those unaccounted for may simply have no access to phones or power.
“To those Americans who have lost loved ones, all of America is grieving with you and our hearts are joined with yours forever,” President Donald Trump said in a speech, a day after viewing some of the damage for himself on a trip to Texas.
More than 30 000 people have found refuge in shelters across the Lone Star State, from the Houston convention centre to churches.
In Houston, where Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a nighttime curfew to aid search efforts and thwart potential looting, the two major airports reopened on a limited basis, signalling a slow return to normality.
More than 4 500 people and 1 000 pets have been rescued from the storm zone. –