Harvey costliest natural disaster in US history, death toll climbs to 38

Hurricane Harvey, the costliest natural disaster in US history, may cost a whopping USD 160 billion in economic damages in Texas which resulted in massive destruction, killing 38 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Harvey, now a tropical depression, made the second landfall yesterday, slamming into the Louisiana coast near the Texas border hitting the region with recordbreaking rainfall and devastating floods.

Harvey has brought the heaviest rainfall in US history, soaking Texas with more than 52 inches since it first made landfall last Friday.

At least 38 people have been killed as a result of the devastating floods and that number was climbing as water receded, revealing the storm’s awful toll, officials were quoted as saying by the New York Times.

Twenty people still remained missing in the city, Economic losses in Texas from hurricane Harvey will be some USD 58 bn. If that estimate holds, it would make Harvey the world’s 9th most expensive natural disaster since 1900

according to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

The flooding in Houston, the fourth largest US city, is slowly receding in some areas for the first time since the weekend, authorities said. Taking advantage of a less rainfall in Houston, Harris County authorities finally located a van, containing six members of the same family, that had been washed off the road days earlier. All six were dead in what police say is the single deadliest incident stemming from Harvey, with victims ranging in ages from six to 84.

More than 32,000 people were in shelters in Texas, and 30,000 shelter beds were available, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

Accuweather estimated Harvey’s cost at USD 160 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in US history.

AccuWeather president Joel Myers called Harvey a “1000 year Storm” and said parts of Houston will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. –PTI