Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded to a tropical storm, but as Houston is hit with massive flooding, the Weather Channel is looking pretty grim right now. The National Weather Service has just tweeted that “this event is unprecedented and beyond anything experienced.”
“FEMA’s going to be there for years” FEMA director Brock Long told CNN this morning.
The New York Times reports that at least five people have died, and torrential rains are expected to continue in Houston, where some residents are wading chest-deep in flood waters to evacuate. The National Weather Service in Houston urged people in particularly hard-hit areas to get on their roofs and has noted that inland flooding is the deadliest hurricane threat. If you are in a safe place, you are urged not to drive.
More than 1,000 rescues have been made in Houston; the Houston police has received over 2,000 calls, and people are asked to call only in a life-threatening situation. There’s now a tornado warning for Harris County, Texas til 11:15 AM CDT, and the Weather Channel advises to “hunker down in [a] place away from windows if possible.” Community centers are being opened to house refugees.
UPDATE 12:45PM EST: Follow @harveyrelief for volunteer-led aid efforts.
UPDATE 1:01PM EST: The City of Houston has tweeted that 911 is at capacity. Here are some alternative numbers:
Be safe, everyone.
