US ready for worst storm since Katrina

TENS of thousands of homes were evacuated yesterday ahead of the worst storm to hit America since Katrina.

Hurricane Harvey is forecast to bring major floods and 130mph winds across swathes of Texas today, where it could cause ‘immense human suffering’.

The outer bands of the hurricane, powered by the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters, swiped the coast as 35in of rain and 12ft storm surges were predicted last night.

As a state of disaster was declared in 30 counties, the National Weather Service warned of ‘serious injury, loss of life, or immense human suffering’. The National Hurricane Center said Harvey will be the first Category 3 storm to hit the US mainland since Katrina, which destroyed much of New Orleans in 2005, killing 1,245.