The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Houston submerged as storm floodwaters rise
Forecast: Fears grow as 50 inches of rain are forecast
The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston on Sunday as rising water led thousands of people to seek higher ground and overwhelmed rescuers.
Helicopters, boats and high-water vehicles swarmed around inundated areas, pulling people from their homes or from the floodwater, which was high enough in some places to gush into second floors.
The flooding was so widespread that authorities had trouble pinpointing the worst areas.
As the water rose, the National Weather Service offered another ominous forecast:
Before the storm passes, some parts of Houston and its suburbs could receive as much as 50 inches of rain. That would be the highest amount ever recorded in Texas.
“The breadth and intensity of this rainfall is beyond anything experienced before,” the National Weather Service said in a statement.
Average rainfall totals will end up around 40 inches for Houston, weather service meteorologist Patrick Burke said.
The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brock Long, said the government expected to conduct a “mass care mission” and predicted that the aftermath of the storm would require Fema’s involvement for years.
“This disaster’s going to be a landmark event,” Mr Long said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities had received more than 2,000 calls for help.
President Donald Trump tweeted on yesterday morning that he would visit Texas “as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption. The focus must be life and safety”.
There are reports of possible deaths in submerged vehicles, but investigations continue, Chief Darryl Coleman of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
Two deaths have been confirmed from the storm since it made landfall:
This disaster’s going to be a landmark event. BROCK LONG