Today appears to be the apex of cumulative rainfall for Texas. However, the downstream watershed continues to create massive community flooding and forcing ongoing rescue efforts in a widening circle East of Houston Texas.  Some shelters are now being flooded.
(REUTERS) “The worst is not yet over for southeast Texas as far as the rain is concerned,” Governor Greg Abbott said, referring to the area that includes Beaumont and Port Arthur.
He warned residents of the storm-hit areas to expect flood waters to linger for up to a week and said that the area affected by the storm was larger than that hit by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people in New Orleans, and 2012’s Super-storm Sandy, which killed 132 around New York and New Jersey.
The population of Houston’s metropolitan area alone is about 6.5 million, far greater than New Orleans’ at the time of Katrina. Abbott asked that the federal government agree to spend more on rebuilding Texas’ Gulf Coast than it did after the earlier storms.
Floodwaters inundated part of Port Arthur’s Bob Bowers Civic Center, forcing the residents who had sought shelter there into the bleachers, according to photos posted to social media.
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President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, along with State and Federal emergency officials meet with Texas senators, congressional representatives and several cabinet officers in Austin Texas to discuss the ongoing rescue, relief and recovery efforts for the entire East Texas region.

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Ongoing record rainfall from TS Harvey continues to bring record flooding to East Texas.  Almost 25 inches of rain has fallen on the region following Hurricane Harvey’s landfall last weekend.  As the rain continues, weather forecasters now anticipating peak water on Wednesday or Thursday as Harvey’s rain begins impacting Southwest Louisiana. [Reuters Picture Gallery Here]  Texas is only about half-way through the anticipated impact timeline.
Thousands of rescue missions have taken place, most by ordinary citizens using private boats and vessels to retrieve stranded residents in the area.  12,000 National Guard troops are working 24/7, and volunteers from several states have arrived to supplement local, state and federal search and rescue efforts.

TEXAS – A new record daily max rainfall of 16.07 inches was set at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Sunday, breaking the old record of 8.32 inches from 1945, according to National Weather Service (NWS) measurements. The airport was closed in the wake of Harvey.
In the last two days, 24.44 inches of rain has fallen in Houston, the NWS reported on Monday. The rainfall from Harvey has already made this August the wettest month on record for Houston.

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President Trump’s Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert appears on CBS ‘Face the Nation’ to discuss the ongoing efforts to assist the people in the impact zone from Hurricane Harvey.

Texas in one picture:

Volunteers helping people…  America

Nearly a quarter of Texas’ population lives in areas covered by a federal disaster declaration as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey.  Gov. Greg Abbott says 18 counties are now covered by the disaster declaration approved by President Donald Trump. There are nearly 7 million people in those counties, including the nation’s fourth-largest city of Houston.

Despite the repeated warnings from Texas Governor Greg Abbott for people to consider evacuating the Houston area ahead of the anticipated flooding from Hurricane Harvey, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner took to social media on August 25th and instructed residents NOT to evacuate.

Two days later, August 27th, the residents of Houston are trapped, panicked and rescue efforts are ongoing.
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The National Weather Service said Sunday the flooding in the Houston Texas area was “unprecedented” and its impacts are “unknown & beyond anything experienced.” Houston officials now looking for anyone with a boat to help search and rescue efforts. Additionally, Galveston Texas officials are looking for anyone with flat bottom boats to rescue people.

https://www.facebook.com/GalvestonCountytx/posts/1247744008663564
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At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

Hurricane Harvey now has sustained winds exceeding 130mph and is a Category 4 storm just prior to anticipated landfall north of Corpus Christi.  Harvey was located about 45 miles (70 km) east of Corpus Christi, Texas, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (215 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

National Hurricane Center HERE

1. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
   * Port Mansfield to High Island Texas
2. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
   * Port Mansfield to Sargent Texas
3. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
   * North of Sargent to High Island Texas

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Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 storm and is anticipated to impact the central Texas coast with landfall overnight Friday into Saturday morning.  Most forecasts are very concerned about the storm surge, rain and flooding that is anticipated.

National Hurricane Center HERE

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