HOUSTON, Texas — Hurricane Harvey ended its nearly six-day reign over Texas as the now-tropical storm moved ashore in far-southwestern Louisiana Wednesday morning. As many as 30 people are suspected dead.
Harvey’s floodwaters continue to be the major threat to the upper Texas coast. Local officials claimed that at least 30 people have died, or are suspected to have died in the wake of the storm that made its Texas landfall last Friday night, the New York Times reported Wednesday morning. Many cities in Texas, including Houston, issued overnight curfews to keep people from drowning in the flooded roadways. Nearly all of the reported Harvey-related deaths resulted from people drowning in their flooded vehicles.
Breitbart News Network set up a link for people wishing to make contributions to the victims of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. The link takes donors to the American Red Cross. Damage estimates for Texas are expected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars.
Harris County Flood Control District Meteorologist Jeff Linder confirmed a new record rainfall total in the county. Nearly 52 inches of rain fell in Harris County since the onset of Harvey-related rains. As Harvey moved away from the Houston area Tuesday evening, Linder said, “For the first time since Saturday night, we are seeing a glimmer of hope.” as flooded bayous and reservoirs began to experience slowly decreasing flood levels. Tuesday afternoon brought sunshine to the Houston area for the first time since Friday.
The National Weather Service’s 4 a.m. update reports Harvey make its second U.S. landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday.The storm continued moving to the NNE (30 degrees) at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm is expected to weaken as the center moves back on shore and will begin to move more rapidly to the northeast through the lower Mississippi Valley, eventually reaching the Tennessee Valley on Thursday.
Heavy rains and flooding continue to be the major threat as the storm moves northeastward.
Police in Beaumont, Texas, reported they rescued a small child in a storm drainage canal as she clung to her mother’s floating, lifeless body, Breitbart Texas reported. The child suffered hypothermia but was otherwise unharmed. Rescue workers attempted to revive the mother but she had already died. The mother’s car stalled as she drove into a flooded parking lot. When she got out of the vehicle, carrying her daughter, the rapidly moving water swept her away.
A family of six people are feared to have drowned after a family reported a van carrying their family members washed away in a raging Greens Bayou on Houston’s northeast side Monday afternoon. While the driver of the van escaped with his life, two great-grandparents in their 80s and four children, ranging from 6 to 16-years of age, could not escape and are believed to have drowned.
Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the department, drowned in his patrol car Sunday morning. The sergeant is believed to have made a wrong turn and then drove into a flooded street where he was unable to escape.
Follow complete coverage of Hurricane Harvey and Houston Floods on Breitbart Texas.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Gab, and Facebook.