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To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: <!-- /react-text --><a href="http://www.torontostarreprints.com/" data-reactid="54">www.TorontoStarReprints.com</a></p><!-- react-empty: 55 --><div data-reactid="56"><!-- react-empty: 57 --><!-- react-empty: 58 --></div><article class="article container-gutters " data-reactid="59"><meta itemprop="description" content="Rescuers had to give top priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many affected families to fend for themselves. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Texas on Tuesday." data-reactid="60"/><meta itemprop="articleSection" content="World" data-reactid="61"/><meta itemprop="thumbnailUrl" content="" data-reactid="62"/><meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2017-08-27" data-reactid="63"/><meta itemprop="dateModified" content="2017-08-27" data-reactid="64"/><meta itemprop="mainEntityOfPage" content="https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas.html" data-reactid="65"/><span itemprop="publisher" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Organization" data-reactid="66"><span itemprop="logo" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" data-reactid="67"><meta itemprop="url" content="https://www.thestar.com/assets/img/thestar-logo.png" data-reactid="68"/><meta itemprop="width" content="277" data-reactid="69"/><meta itemprop="height" content="44" data-reactid="70"/></span><meta itemprop="name" content="Toronto Star" data-reactid="71"/><link itemprop="sameAs" href="https://www.thestar.com" data-reactid="72"/></span><div class="breadcrumb-header clearfix full-bleed" data-reactid="73"><div class="breadcrumb-header__gutter news" data-reactid="74"></div><div class="clearfix sticky-replace sticky-replace--narrow" data-sticky-replace="true" data-reactid="75"><div class="sticky-replace__body" data-reactid="76"><nav class="breadcrumb-header__nav" data-reactid="77"><ol class="clearfix" data-reactid="78"><li data-reactid="79"><span data-reactid="80"><span data-reactid="81"><a href="/news.html" data-reactid="82">News</a></span></span></li><li data-reactid="83"><span data-reactid="84"><span data-reactid="85"><a href="/news/world.html" data-reactid="86">World</a></span></span></li></ol></nav></div></div></div><div class="article__loader" data-reactid="87"><div class="small-12 inset columns center" data-reactid="88"><div class="row" data-reactid="89"><div data-reactid="90"><div class="show-for-small-only alpha__big-box " data-reactid="91"><div class="alpha__big-box__body" data-reactid="92"><div class="big-box banner-ad" data-reactid="93"><!-- react-empty: 94 --></div></div></div><header class="article__header" data-reactid="95"><h1 class=" article__headline" itemprop="headline" data-reactid="96">Catastrophic floods strike Houston, thousands flee homes</h1><div class="article__subheadline" data-reactid="97"><p data-reactid="98">Rescuers had to give top priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many affected families to fend for themselves. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Texas on Tuesday.</p></div></header></div></div><div class="hero" data-reactid="99"><figure class="image" itemprop="image" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" data-reactid="100"><div data-reactid="101"><meta itemprop="url" content="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.1086x724.jpg" data-reactid="102"/><meta itemprop="width" content="1086" data-reactid="103"/><meta itemprop="height" content="724" data-reactid="104"/></div><div class="image__body " data-reactid="105"><img src="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.1086x724.jpg" alt="Vehicles drive through a flooded street as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas." sizes="(min-width: 1086px) 1086px, 100vw" srcset="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.320x213.jpg 320w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.480x320.jpg 480w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.640x426.jpg 640w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.1086x724.jpg 1086w" data-reactid="106"/></div><figcaption data-reactid="107"><!-- react-text: 108 -->Vehicles drive through a flooded street as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas.<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit" data-reactid="109"><!-- react-text: 110 -->  (<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit__source" data-reactid="111"><!-- react-text: 112 -->BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI<!-- /react-text --><span data-reactid="113"> / </span><!-- react-text: 114 -->AFP/GETTY IMAGES<!-- /react-text --></span><!-- react-text: 115 -->)<!-- /react-text --><!-- react-text: 116 -->  <!-- /react-text --></span></figcaption></figure></div></div><div data-reactid="117"><div class="row" data-reactid="118"><div class="small-12 inset columns" data-reactid="119"><div class="article__body clearfix article-story-body" data-reactid="120"><div class="alpha alpha--big-box show-for-medium-up" data-reactid="121"><!-- react-empty: 122 --></div><div class="show-right-rail" data-reactid="123"><div class="article__meta" data-reactid="124"><div class="inset" data-reactid="125"><div class="article__byline" data-reactid="126"><span data-reactid="127">By </span><span class="article__author" data-reactid="128"><span data-reactid="129"><span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" data-reactid="130"><span class="article__author-name" itemprop="name" data-reactid="131">Mike Gracyzk</span></span></span><span data-reactid="132"><span class="article__author-credit" data-reactid="133">The Associated Press</span></span></span></div><div class="article__published-date" data-reactid="134">Sun., Aug. 27, 2017</div></div><div class="clearfix share-toolbar " data-reactid="135"><div class="gutter-icon" data-reactid="136"><span class="staricon staricon-share" data-reactid="137"></span></div><div class="share-toolbar__body" data-reactid="138"><div class="clearfix sticky-replace sticky-replace--inset" data-sticky-replace="true" data-reactid="139"><div class="sticky-replace__body" data-reactid="140"><ul class="share-toolbar__primary clearfix" data-reactid="141"><li data-reactid="142"><a href="#" title="Share on Facebook" data-reactid="143"><span class="staricon staricon-facebook" data-reactid="144"></span></a></li><li data-reactid="145"><a href="#" title="Share on Twitter" data-reactid="146"><span class="staricon staricon-twitter" data-reactid="147"></span></a></li><li data-reactid="148"><a href="#" title="Share with email" data-reactid="149"><span class="staricon staricon-email-outlined" data-reactid="150"></span></a></li><li data-reactid="151"><a href="#" title="More share options" class="share-toolbar-more" data-reactid="152"><span class="staricon staricon-more-dots" data-reactid="153"></span></a></li></ul></div></div><!-- react-empty: 154 --></div></div></div></div><div data-reactid="155"><p>HOUSTON&#x2014;Tropical storm Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into the fourth-largest city in the U.S. on Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground and overwhelmed rescuers who could not keep up with the constant calls for help.</p><p>The incessant rain covered much of Houston in turbid, grey-green water and turned streets into rivers navigable only by boat. In a rescue effort that recalled the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, helicopters landed near flooded freeways, airboats buzzed across submerged neighbourhoods and high-water vehicles plowed through water-logged intersections. Some people managed with kayaks or canoes or swam.</p><p>Volunteers joined emergency teams to pull people from their homes or from the water, which was high enough in places to gush into second floors. The flooding was so widespread that authorities had trouble pinpointing the worst areas. They urged people to get on top of their houses to avoid becoming trapped in attics and to wave sheets or towels to draw attention to their location.</p></div><figure class="image" data-reactid="156"><div class="image__body " data-reactid="157"><img src="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding.jpg.size.custom.crop.850x567.jpg" alt="A ranch home sits submerged in Taft, Texas, as Harvey continues to drench southeast Texas." sizes="(min-width: 850px) 850px, 100vw" srcset="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding.jpg.size.custom.crop.320x213.jpg 320w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding.jpg.size.custom.crop.480x320.jpg 480w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding.jpg.size.custom.crop.640x426.jpg 640w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding.jpg.size.custom.crop.850x567.jpg 850w" data-reactid="158"/></div><figcaption data-reactid="159"><!-- react-text: 160 -->A ranch home sits submerged in Taft, Texas, as Harvey continues to drench southeast Texas.<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit" data-reactid="161"><!-- react-text: 162 -->  (<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit__source" data-reactid="163"><!-- react-text: 164 -->Robert Gauthier<!-- /react-text --></span><!-- react-text: 165 -->)<!-- /react-text --><!-- react-text: 166 -->  <!-- /react-text --></span></figcaption></figure><div data-reactid="167"><p>Judging from federal disaster declarations, the storm has so far affected about a quarter of the Texas population, or 6.8 million people in 18 counties. It was blamed for at least two deaths.</p></div><div class="show-for-small-only alpha__big-box " data-reactid="168"><div class="article-continued" data-reactid="169"><div class="article-continued__heading" data-reactid="170">Article Continued Below</div></div><div class="alpha__big-box__body" data-reactid="171"><div class="big-box" data-reactid="172"><!-- react-empty: 173 --></div></div></div><div data-reactid="174"><p>As the water rose, the National Weather Service issued another ominous forecast: Before the storm that arrived Friday as a Category 4 hurricane is gone, some parts of Houston and its suburbs could get as much as 1.3 metres of rain. That would be the highest amount ever recorded in Texas.</p><p>Some areas have already received about half that amount. Since Thursday, South Houston recorded nearly 63 centimetres, and the suburbs of Santa Fe and Dayton got 69 cm.</p><p>&#x201c;The breadth and intensity of this rainfall is beyond anything experienced before,&#x201d; the National Weather Service said.</p><p>Average rainfall totals will end up around one metre for Houston, weather service meteorologist Patrick Burke said.</p></div><!-- react-empty: 175 --><div id="fsk_splitbox" data-reactid="176"></div><div data-reactid="177"><p>The federal government is promising a muscular response, with 5,000 federal employees &#x2014; including members of the coast guard, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department &#x2014; on site in Texas and Louisiana to assist state and local officials.</p><p>&#x201c;We&#x2019;re setting up and gearing up for the next couple of years,&#x201d; William &#x201c;Brock&#x201d; Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on CNN&#x2019;s State of the Union program Sunday. &#x201c;This disaster&#x2019;s going to be a landmark event.&#x201d;</p><p>Rescuers had to give top priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many affected families to fend for themselves. And rising waters forced the evacuation of several hospitals in the Houston area.</p><p>Tom Bartlett and Steven Craig pulled a rowboat on a rope through chest-deep water for a mile to rescue Bartlett&#x2019;s mother from her home in west Houston. It took them 45 minutes to reach the house. Inside, the water was halfway up the walls.</p><p>Marie Bartlett, 88, waited in her bedroom upstairs.</p><p>&#x201c;When I was younger, I used to wish I had a daughter, but I have the best son in the world,&#x201d; she said. &#x201c;In my 40 years here, I&#x2019;ve never seen the water this high.&#x201d;</p></div><figure class="image" data-reactid="178"><div class="image__body " data-reactid="179"><img src="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.850x589.jpg" alt="Damage to a two-storey apartment building after Harvey hit Rockport, Texas." sizes="(min-width: 850px) 850px, 100vw" srcset="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.320x221.jpg 320w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.480x332.jpg 480w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.640x443.jpg 640w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-1.jpg.size.custom.crop.850x589.jpg 850w" data-reactid="180"/></div><figcaption data-reactid="181"><!-- react-text: 182 -->Damage to a two-storey apartment building after Harvey hit Rockport, Texas.<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit" data-reactid="183"><!-- react-text: 184 -->  (<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit__source" data-reactid="185"><!-- react-text: 186 -->MARK RALSTON<!-- /react-text --></span><!-- react-text: 187 -->)<!-- /react-text --><!-- react-text: 188 -->  <!-- /react-text --></span></figcaption></figure><div data-reactid="189"><p>It was not clear how many people were plucked from the floodwaters. Up to 1,200 people had to be rescued in Galveston County alone, said Mark Henry, the county judge, the county&#x2019;s top administrative post.</p><p>Houston&#x2019;s George R. Brown Convention Center was quickly opened as a shelter. It was used as a shelter for Katrina refugees in 2005.</p><p>Officials in Dallas said they would open the city&#x2019;s convention centre to about 5,000 people who are fleeing from the hurricane-ravaged southern part of the state. Dallas has three shelters currently open for evacuees, but the convention centre will serve as a &#x201c;mega shelter.&#x201d;</p><p>The storm also blew through key areas for the U.S. oil and gas industry and was already causing some disruption of production. Exxon Mobil said on its website Sunday that it was shutting down operations at its huge Baytown refining and petrochemical complex because of flooding, while heavy rain prompted Royal Dutch Shell to close a large refining facility at Deer Park.</p></div><figure class="image" data-reactid="190"><div class="image__body " data-reactid="191"><img src="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-2.jpg.size.custom.crop.850x567.jpg" alt="Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen following passage after Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport, Texas." sizes="(min-width: 850px) 850px, 100vw" srcset="https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-2.jpg.size.custom.crop.320x213.jpg 320w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-2.jpg.size.custom.crop.480x320.jpg 480w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-2.jpg.size.custom.crop.640x426.jpg 640w, https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-2.jpg.size.custom.crop.850x567.jpg 850w" data-reactid="192"/></div><figcaption data-reactid="193"><!-- react-text: 194 -->Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen following passage after Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport, Texas.<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit" data-reactid="195"><!-- react-text: 196 -->  (<!-- /react-text --><span class="image__credit__source" data-reactid="197"><!-- react-text: 198 -->MARK RALSTON<!-- /react-text --></span><!-- react-text: 199 -->)<!-- /react-text --><!-- react-text: 200 -->  <!-- /react-text --></span></figcaption></figure><div data-reactid="201"><p>Shell, one of the largest producers in the Gulf of Mexico, said it had closed two offshore production platforms, Perdido and Enchilada Salsa, and evacuated most of the workers.</p><p>Still, the Gulf produces substantial quantities of oil and gas, and analysts say it is likely that the effect on energy prices and supplies will be limited by the substantial stocks of oil available, and products like gasoline that are on hand because of a long period of booming global output.</p><p>In the long term, Texas is likely to face a massive, multibillion-dollar rebuilding effort that may affect a generation &#x2014; and what is sure to be daunting and sometimes depressing era of government trailers, red tape and fights with bureaucrats and insurance companies.</p><p>Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities had received more than 2,000 calls for help, with more coming in. He urged drivers to stay off roads to avoid adding to the number of those stranded.</p><p>&#x201c;I don&#x2019;t need to tell anyone this is a very, very serious and unprecedented storm,&#x201d; Turner told a news conference. &#x201c;We have several hundred structural flooding reports. We expect that number to rise pretty dramatically.&#x201d;</p><p>The deteriorating situation was bound to provoke questions about the conflicting advice given by the governor and Houston leaders before the hurricane. Gov. Greg Abbott urged people to flee from Harvey&#x2019;s path, but the Houston mayor issued no evacuation orders and told everyone to stay home.</p><p>The governor refused to point fingers on Sunday.</p><p>&#x201c;Now is not the time to second-guess the decisions that were made,&#x201d; Abbott, a Republican, said in Austin. &#x201c;What&#x2019;s important is that everybody work together to ensure that we are going to, first, save lives and, second, help people across the state rebuild.&#x201d;</p><p>The mayor, a Democrat, defended his decision, saying there was no way to know which parts of the city were most vulnerable.</p><p>&#x201c;If you think the situation right now is bad, and you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare,&#x201d; Turner said, citing the risks of sending the city&#x2019;s 2.3 million inhabitants onto the highways at the same time.</p><p>Jesse Gonzalez, and his son, also named Jesse, used their boat to rescue people from a southeast Houston neighbourhood. Asked what he had seen, the younger Gonzalez replied: &#x201c;A lot of people walking and a lot of dogs swimming.&#x201d;</p><p>&#x201c;It&#x2019;s chest- to shoulder-deep out there in certain areas,&#x201d; he told television station KTRK as the pair grabbed a gasoline can to refill their boat.</p><p>Some people used inflatable beach toys, rubber rafts and even air mattresses to get through the water to safety. Others waded while carrying trash bags stuffed with their belongings and small animals in picnic coolers.</p></div><p data-reactid="202"><!-- react-text: 203 -->UNIMPLEMENTED COMPONENT - <!-- /react-text --><!-- react-text: 204 -->empty<!-- /react-text --></p><p data-reactid="205"><!-- react-text: 206 -->UNIMPLEMENTED COMPONENT - <!-- /react-text --><!-- react-text: 207 -->empty<!-- /react-text --></p><div data-reactid="208"><p>The coast guard deployed five helicopters and asked for additional aircraft from New Orleans.</p><p>The White House announced that President Donald Trump would visit Texas on Tuesday. He met Sunday by teleconference with top administration officials to discuss federal support for response and recovery efforts.</p><p>The rescues unfolded a day after Harvey settled over the Texas coastline. The system weakened Saturday to a tropical storm.</p><p>On Sunday, it was virtually stationary about 40 kilometres northwest of Victoria, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of about 72 km/h), the hurricane centre said.</p><p>Harvey was the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961&#x2019;s Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.</p><p><p annotation="note"><strong>Read more:</strong></p></p><p><a onContextMenu="theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)" onclick="theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)" href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/08/27/fema-director-says-harvey-is-probably-the-worst-disaster-in-texas-history.html">FEMA director says Harvey is probably the worst disaster in Texas history</a></p><p><a onContextMenu="theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)" onclick="theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)" href="https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/08/27/photos-dramatic-scenes-from-houston-as-harvey-floodwaters-wreak-havoc.html">Photos: Dramatic scenes from Houston as Harvey floodwaters wreak havoc</a></p><p><em><p><strong>With files from the New York Times</strong></p></em></p></div><div class="related_topics" data-reactid="209"><strong data-reactid="210">Read more about: </strong><div class="tags" data-reactid="211"><span data-reactid="212"><a href="/topic.united_states.html" data-reactid="213">United States</a></span></div></div><!-- react-empty: 214 --><div class="advisers-cta show-for-small-only" data-reactid="215"><a class="advisers-cta__container" href="https://www.thestaradvisers.com/R.aspx?a=1022&amp;as=lu0hZ3JS9p" target="_blank" data-reactid="216"><div class="advisers-cta__body" data-reactid="217"><p class="advisers-cta__heading" data-reactid="218"><span class="advisers-cta__heading-highlight" data-reactid="219">Do you want to help shape</span><br data-reactid="220"/><!-- 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window.theStarPreloadedJson=[["feed:",{"mainart":{"fullWindowMainart":false,"type":"image","url":"/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding-1.jpg","caption":"Vehicles drive through a flooded street as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas.","credit":"BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI","source":"AFP/GETTY IMAGES","origImageSize":"1200x800","forceoriginal":false},"keywords":["oc:entities/city/h/o/u/houston","oc:entities/provinceorstate/t/e/x/texas","oc:entities/country/u/n/i/united_states","oc:socialtag/a/t/l/atlantic_hurricane_season","oc:socialtag/_2/_0/_0/_2005_atlantic_hurricane_season","oc:socialtag/g/e/o/geography_of_texas","oc:socialtag/g/e/o/geography_of_the_united_states","ng:t/r/o/tropical_depression","ng:w/o/r/world_news","ng:h/o/u/houston","ng:d/l/w/dlws","ng:f/l/o/flooding","ng:w/e/a/weather","ng:h/u/r/hurricane_harvey"],"TorstarTags":["15"],"publisheddate":"Sun., Aug. 27, 2017","lastreplicatedepoch":1503884578332,"type":"Story","body":[{"type":"text","text":"<p>HOUSTON&#x2014;Tropical storm Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into the fourth-largest city in the U.S. on Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground and overwhelmed rescuers who could not keep up with the constant calls for help.</p><p>The incessant rain covered much of Houston in turbid, grey-green water and turned streets into rivers navigable only by boat. In a rescue effort that recalled the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, helicopters landed near flooded freeways, airboats buzzed across submerged neighbourhoods and high-water vehicles plowed through water-logged intersections. Some people managed with kayaks or canoes or swam.</p><p>Volunteers joined emergency teams to pull people from their homes or from the water, which was high enough in places to gush into second floors. The flooding was so widespread that authorities had trouble pinpointing the worst areas. They urged people to get on top of their houses to avoid becoming trapped in attics and to wave sheets or towels to draw attention to their location.</p>"},{"origImageSize":"1200x800","fullWindowGenericImage":false,"lastmodified":1514058175972,"forceoriginal":false,"caption":"A ranch home sits submerged in Taft, Texas, as Harvey continues to drench southeast Texas.","type":"genericimage","credit":"Robert Gauthier","url":"/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/flooding.jpg"},{"type":"text","text":"<p>Judging from federal disaster declarations, the storm has so far affected about a quarter of the Texas population, or 6.8 million people in 18 counties. It was blamed for at least two deaths.</p>"},{"type":"ad","display":"small-only","pos":"1","sizes":[[300,250]],"interstitial":true,"name":"MobileMiddleArticleBigBox"},{"type":"text","text":"<p>As the water rose, the National Weather Service issued another ominous forecast: Before the storm that arrived Friday as a Category 4 hurricane is gone, some parts of Houston and its suburbs could get as much as 1.3 metres of rain. That would be the highest amount ever recorded in Texas.</p><p>Some areas have already received about half that amount. Since Thursday, South Houston recorded nearly 63 centimetres, and the suburbs of Santa Fe and Dayton got 69 cm.</p><p>&#x201c;The breadth and intensity of this rainfall is beyond anything experienced before,&#x201d; the National Weather Service said.</p><p>Average rainfall totals will end up around one metre for Houston, weather service meteorologist Patrick Burke said.</p>"},{"type":"articleRelated","display":"medium-up"},{"type":"slimcut"},{"type":"text","text":"<p>The federal government is promising a muscular response, with 5,000 federal employees &#x2014; including members of the coast guard, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department &#x2014; on site in Texas and Louisiana to assist state and local officials.</p><p>&#x201c;We&#x2019;re setting up and gearing up for the next couple of years,&#x201d; William &#x201c;Brock&#x201d; Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on CNN&#x2019;s State of the Union program Sunday. &#x201c;This disaster&#x2019;s going to be a landmark event.&#x201d;</p><p>Rescuers had to give top priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many affected families to fend for themselves. And rising waters forced the evacuation of several hospitals in the Houston area.</p><p>Tom Bartlett and Steven Craig pulled a rowboat on a rope through chest-deep water for a mile to rescue Bartlett&#x2019;s mother from her home in west Houston. It took them 45 minutes to reach the house. Inside, the water was halfway up the walls.</p><p>Marie Bartlett, 88, waited in her bedroom upstairs.</p><p>&#x201c;When I was younger, I used to wish I had a daughter, but I have the best son in the world,&#x201d; she said. &#x201c;In my 40 years here, I&#x2019;ve never seen the water this high.&#x201d;</p>"},{"origImageSize":"1200x832","fullWindowGenericImage":false,"lastmodified":1512548587770,"forceoriginal":false,"caption":"Damage to a two-storey apartment building after Harvey hit Rockport, Texas.","type":"genericimage","credit":"MARK RALSTON","url":"/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-1.jpg"},{"type":"text","text":"<p>It was not clear how many people were plucked from the floodwaters. Up to 1,200 people had to be rescued in Galveston County alone, said Mark Henry, the county judge, the county&#x2019;s top administrative post.</p><p>Houston&#x2019;s George R. Brown Convention Center was quickly opened as a shelter. It was used as a shelter for Katrina refugees in 2005.</p><p>Officials in Dallas said they would open the city&#x2019;s convention centre to about 5,000 people who are fleeing from the hurricane-ravaged southern part of the state. Dallas has three shelters currently open for evacuees, but the convention centre will serve as a &#x201c;mega shelter.&#x201d;</p><p>The storm also blew through key areas for the U.S. oil and gas industry and was already causing some disruption of production. Exxon Mobil said on its website Sunday that it was shutting down operations at its huge Baytown refining and petrochemical complex because of flooding, while heavy rain prompted Royal Dutch Shell to close a large refining facility at Deer Park.</p>"},{"origImageSize":"1200x800","fullWindowGenericImage":false,"lastmodified":1512696421228,"forceoriginal":false,"caption":"Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen following passage after Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport, Texas.","type":"genericimage","credit":"MARK RALSTON","url":"/content/dam/thestar/news/world/2017/08/27/at-least-two-dead-as-harvey-causes-catastrophic-flooding-in-southeastern-texas/damage-2.jpg"},{"type":"text","text":"<p>Shell, one of the largest producers in the Gulf of Mexico, said it had closed two offshore production platforms, Perdido and Enchilada Salsa, and evacuated most of the workers.</p><p>Still, the Gulf produces substantial quantities of oil and gas, and analysts say it is likely that the effect on energy prices and supplies will be limited by the substantial stocks of oil available, and products like gasoline that are on hand because of a long period of booming global output.</p><p>In the long term, Texas is likely to face a massive, multibillion-dollar rebuilding effort that may affect a generation &#x2014; and what is sure to be daunting and sometimes depressing era of government trailers, red tape and fights with bureaucrats and insurance companies.</p><p>Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities had received more than 2,000 calls for help, with more coming in. He urged drivers to stay off roads to avoid adding to the number of those stranded.</p><p>&#x201c;I don&#x2019;t need to tell anyone this is a very, very serious and unprecedented storm,&#x201d; Turner told a news conference. &#x201c;We have several hundred structural flooding reports. We expect that number to rise pretty dramatically.&#x201d;</p><p>The deteriorating situation was bound to provoke questions about the conflicting advice given by the governor and Houston leaders before the hurricane. Gov. Greg Abbott urged people to flee from Harvey&#x2019;s path, but the Houston mayor issued no evacuation orders and told everyone to stay home.</p><p>The governor refused to point fingers on Sunday.</p><p>&#x201c;Now is not the time to second-guess the decisions that were made,&#x201d; Abbott, a Republican, said in Austin. &#x201c;What&#x2019;s important is that everybody work together to ensure that we are going to, first, save lives and, second, help people across the state rebuild.&#x201d;</p><p>The mayor, a Democrat, defended his decision, saying there was no way to know which parts of the city were most vulnerable.</p><p>&#x201c;If you think the situation right now is bad, and you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare,&#x201d; Turner said, citing the risks of sending the city&#x2019;s 2.3 million inhabitants onto the highways at the same time.</p><p>Jesse Gonzalez, and his son, also named Jesse, used their boat to rescue people from a southeast Houston neighbourhood. Asked what he had seen, the younger Gonzalez replied: &#x201c;A lot of people walking and a lot of dogs swimming.&#x201d;</p><p>&#x201c;It&#x2019;s chest- to shoulder-deep out there in certain areas,&#x201d; he told television station KTRK as the pair grabbed a gasoline can to refill their boat.</p><p>Some people used inflatable beach toys, rubber rafts and even air mattresses to get through the water to safety. Others waded while carrying trash bags stuffed with their belongings and small animals in picnic coolers.</p>"},{"type":"empty"},{"type":"empty"},{"type":"text","text":"<p>The coast guard deployed five helicopters and asked for additional aircraft from New Orleans.</p><p>The White House announced that President Donald Trump would visit Texas on Tuesday. He met Sunday by teleconference with top administration officials to discuss federal support for response and recovery efforts.</p><p>The rescues unfolded a day after Harvey settled over the Texas coastline. The system weakened Saturday to a tropical storm.</p><p>On Sunday, it was virtually stationary about 40 kilometres northwest of Victoria, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of about 72 km/h), the hurricane centre said.</p><p>Harvey was the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961&#x2019;s Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.</p><p><p annotation=\"note\"><strong>Read more:</strong></p></p><p><a onContextMenu=\"theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)\" onclick=\"theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)\" href=\"https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/08/27/fema-director-says-harvey-is-probably-the-worst-disaster-in-texas-history.html\">FEMA director says Harvey is probably the worst disaster in Texas history</a></p><p><a onContextMenu=\"theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)\" onclick=\"theStarLinkClick(event, this, true)\" href=\"https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/08/27/photos-dramatic-scenes-from-houston-as-harvey-floodwaters-wreak-havoc.html\">Photos: Dramatic scenes from Houston as Harvey floodwaters wreak havoc</a></p><p><em><p><strong>With files from the New York Times</strong></p></em></p>"},{"type":"related_topics","tags":["united_states"]},{"type":"articleRelated","display":"small-only"},{"type":"newsletterbox"},{"type":"text","text":""}],"assetTags":["texas","atlantic_hurricane_season","flooding","hurricane_harvey","geography_of_texas","dlws","houston","houston","_2005_atlantic_hurricane_season","world_news","united_states","tropical_depression","weather","geography_of_the_united_states"],"seoKeywords":"tropical depression,World News,Houston,DLWS,flooding,weather,Hurricane Harvey","promo":[],"related":{"pubdays":0,"strategy":0},"seoHead":"Catastrophic floods strike Houston, thousands flee homes","headline":"Catastrophic floods strike Houston, thousands flee homes","subheadline":"Rescuers had to give top priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many affected families to fend for themselves. 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