HOUSTON – The latest weather forecast delivered hope to Houston after five days of torrential rain submerged the nation’s fourth-largest city: Less than an inch of rain and perhaps even sunshine. But the dangers remain. With at least 18 dead and 13,000 people rescued in the Houston area and surrounding cities and counties in Southeast Texas, others were still trying to escape from inundated homes. Weakened levees were in danger of failing and a less-ferocious but still potent Harvey was on track to slam into Louisiana overnight, as the Associated Press reported.
Greek-American Houstonian Alex Triantaphyllis who is running for Congress in Texas’ 7th District sent out this statement, “For those of you in the Houston area or other parts of Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey, I hope you and your loved ones are safe. Christina, Mina, and I are thankfully safe and dry. It is tough to see others in much less fortunate situations, and we’ve been trying to do our part to help flood victims.
He continued, “We are mobilizing volunteers on the ground, and I wanted to share with you some local resources and ways you can help those affected. We’ve compiled a list to help those in the Houston area that can be found here, https://medium.com/@
“Lastly, wherever you are and if you can, please donate to the Hurricane Harvey Community Relief Fund today. We will keep you updated on other opportunities to help,” Triantaphyllis concluded.
As noted on the Greater Houston Community Foundation website, “After receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries from citizens and companies who want to help, Mayor Sylvester Turner has established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund that will accept tax deductible flood relief donations for victims that have been affected by the recent floods.The fund will be housed at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.”
More information is available at www.ghcf.org.
In an apparent response to scattered reports of looting, a curfew was put into effect from midnight to 5 AM, with police saying violators would be questioned, searched, and arrested.
Meanwhile, a much-weakened Tropical Storm Harvey was steering into new territory. Meteorologists said Harvey was forecast to come inland Wednesday around the Texas-Louisiana line close to Beaumont, Texas, with 45 mph winds and heavy rains, slogging through Louisiana much of the day before taking its downpours north. Arkansas, Tennessee and parts of Missouri are on alert for Harvey flooding in the next few days.
“Once we get this thing inland during the day, it’s the end of the beginning,” said National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen. “Texas is going to get a chance to finally dry out as this system pulls out.”
After five consecutive days of rain, Harvey set a new continental U.S. record for rainfall for a tropical system. The rains in Cedar Bayou, near Mont Belvieu, Texas, totaled 51.88 inches (132 centimeters) as of Tuesday afternoon. That’s a record for both Texas and the continental United States, but it does not quite surpass the 52 inches (133 centimeters) from Tropical Cyclone Hiki in Kauai, Hawaii, in 1950, before Hawaii became a state.
Before it breaks up, Harvey could creep as far east as Mississippi by Thursday, meaning New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina unleashed its full wrath in 2005, is in Harvey’s path.
Foreboding images of Harvey lit up weather radar screens on the 12th anniversary of the day Katrina made landfall in Plaquemines Parish.
(Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
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