Houston is being inundated with "unprecedented" devastating flooding
after ferocious Hurricane Harvey set in over southeast Texas this
weekend, dumping torrential rain on the city, with no end in sight.
ABC News meteorologists are forecasting historic rainfall totals up to 50 inches by Wednesday.
Heavy rain bands are expected to continue to move in over Houston
overnight, which will continue the catastrophic and life-threatening
flash-flood emergency in the area.
The flooding comes after the hurricane left at least three people dead
after it bashed the Texas coast. Buildings and parts of communities are
submerged and, in Houston, there were more than 1,000 calls for rescues
and people were forced to their rooftops.
One death was confirmed Sunday by Mayor Bobby Hocking of La Marque,
Texas, about 38 miles southeast from Houston on the Gulf Coast. The body
of a 52-year-old man was found at a Walmart there on Interstate-45.
"At this time it is unknown if the subject passed away from health
conditions or due to drowning, there was high water in the area of
Walmart last night," the La Marque Police Department said in a
statement.
Another person who died was in Houston, after a woman was “swept away,” according to Art Acevedo, Houston’s chief of police.
"Sadly, we have lost one female member of our community who encountered
floodwaters in her vehicle, got out and was swept away," Acevedo said.
Officials said another person died in the coastal city of Rockport.
The National Hurricane Center said
at least 50 inches of rain has fallen in some areas, and one
meteorologist estimated that upward of 340 billion gallons of rainfall
inundated the area.
Meteorologist Travis Herzog of ABC Houston station KTRK-TV estimates
that 340-370 billion gallons of rainwater has fallen so far, which
exceeds other major flooding events that have affected the region in
recent years by over one hundred billion gallons.
"This event is unprecedented & all impacts are unknown & beyond anything experienced," the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted this morning.
Separately, officials announced two forthcoming reservoir releases that
will likely impact thousands of homes in the Houston area, they said.
Water from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs will be released early this
week in an effort to mitigate flooding risks, officials with the U.S.
Army Corps said.
Rescue efforts underway
Meanwhile, workers are scrambling to locate survivors of the deadly
storm, and some police departments are even seeking help from local
residents in their rescue efforts.
The League City Police Department, located about 30 miles south of
Houston, posted on Facebook that it was looking "for people with flat
bottom or low water boats to assist with rescue and evacuation."
"Please send LCPD a Facebook message with name, phone number, location
of boat, length and style of boat if you can be mobile with your boat
and are experienced in operation of the boat," the League City police
wrote.
The Houston mayor said this evening that the majority of the city's homeless are off the streets and in shelters.
As of late Sunday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said it had conducted more
than 200 rescues by air in the area and more than 1,000 rescues by
water.
More rain is likely coming
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that
as the heavy rains are expected to persist, which will lead to even more
flooding, people are urged to stay off the roads.
Residents are also asked to keep a lookout for tornado warnings, which may pop up in the region in the coming days.
DroneBase via AP
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city is not out of the woods
yet. This is only the second day of what could become three or four or
five difficult ones, he said, while urging Houstonians not to tire and
to remain vigilant.
Judge Ed Emmett of Harris County, in which Houston is located, said this
evening that as night falls, rescue operations will continue and become
more difficult.
He urged stranded residents to try to reach their roof if possible, where rescuers can spot them.
He said his biggest concern is reaching those who are trapped and
getting them to shelters. Dozens of shelters are set up at buildings
including churches and mosques, he added.
Officials respond
President Trump
tweeted about the storm this morning, saying "experts are calling
#Harvey a once in 500 year flood," but that the United States had "an
all out effort going" in response to it.
The response included the deployment of 3,000 national and state guard
service members, 500 vehicles and 14 aircraft, officials said.
Four hundred people have been deployed by the U.S. Department of
Transportation in response to the danger, officials said, and 250
highway closures were established statewide.
ABC News' Brittany Borer, Lucien Bruggeman, Mary Bruce, Christopher
Donato, Erin Dooley, Melissa Griffin, Michael Kreisel, Jonah Lustig,
Daniel Manzo and Brendan Rand contributed to this report.
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