Harvey Brings Devastation With Unprecedented Flooding
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2017 AS OF 10:00 AM CDT
Tropical Storm Harvey continues to bring heavy rains as its movement progresses across Southeast Texas into Southwest Louisiana, causing catastrophic flooding to the impacted regions. FEMA has called this a “landmark event.” The NOAA’s National Hurricane Center highlighted the dangerous flooding levels, “Harvey is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 15 to 25 inches through Friday over the upper Texas coast and into southwestern Louisiana. Isolated storm totals may reach 50 inches over the upper Texas coast, including the Houston/ Galveston metropolitan area. These rains are currently producing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding over large portions of southeastern Texas.”
FEMA Administrator Brock Long held a briefing on Monday morning outlining the flooding impacts of Harvey thus far and highlighted that “we’re not at recovery yet….this is a life safety, life-sustaining mission.” FEMA anticipates over fifty counties in Texas have been impacted . The next goals is “stabilizing disaster survivors,”, anticipating over 30,000 people will need temporary sheltering:
On Sunday evening, the Red Cross’s Brad Kieserman spoke with NPR and stated that “the flood waters are not going to recede in most places for weeks. We will be flooded well past Labor Day. The area that’s going to be flooding is about the size of Lake Michigan. Hurricane Harvey has effectively turned South and Central Texas into a lake the size of Michigan.” With unprecedented flood in the Southeast Texas region, federal, state, and local government agencies as well as non-profit organizations are mobilizing to provide emergency services and sheltering. Kieserman continued to discuss how organizations like the Red Cross have prepared to address the immediate needs of relief effort, “…we have resources right now in Texas to shelter well over 30,000 people. And by tonight, we’ll have enough in place to shelter well over 55,000 people. The other thing we’ve learned is this – we’ve just got to focus on mass care – that is the provision of feeding and shelter to people who need that.”
FEMA has begun deploying staff and resources to the areas impacted by Harvey.
Here’s a look at our response operations for #Harvey. For resources: https://t.co/QYz65o9EIG pic.twitter.com/sVQqoxiFX8
— FEMA (@fema) August 28, 2017
#RedCross is providing shelter, meals & comfort to people impacted by #Harvey. To find a location: https://t.co/sizEp51qtg or 1-800-REDCROSS pic.twitter.com/jfewo2EJh0
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) August 28, 2017
EMERGENCY SHELTERING INFORMATION
HOW YOU CAN HELP
PUBLIC ADVISORIES
Here’s the breakdown of public advisories from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) 10:00 AM CDT, August 27, 2017 Update:
- A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Mesquite Bay, Texas to Cameron, Louisiana.
- A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for east of Cameron, Louisiana to Intracoastal City, Louisiana.
EVACUATIONS AND EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS
As life-threatening hazards and heavy rainfall continue to plague the Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana coastal region, please heed all evacuation orders and instructions from local emergency management and law enforcement:
- Emergencies declared by governors in Texas and Louisiana.
- FEMA has declared Texas Hurricane Harvey (DR-4332)
- President Trump has approved a Louisiana Emergency Declaration
- Texas: See evacuation zone here
- Louisiana: See evacuation zone here
RELATED STORIES:
- NOAA’s National Hurricane Center for regular updates on Hurricane Harvey: link
- Remember, Ready.gov provides information on how to prepare for a storm and how to keep you and your family safe: link
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