Hurricane Harvey Batters US: Updates

Aug 30, 2017, 16:07 IST

SECOND LANDFALL AT LOUISIANA: Hurricane Harvey made a second landfall near the Louisiana-Texas border in the US on Wednesday, dousing the region with heavy rain that could lead to "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding". Harvey is expected to bring winds of 30-40 mph and a 2-4 foot storm surge along the Louisiana-Texas border. Louisiana beefed up its emergency resources, doubling up on high water vehicles, boats and helicopters on duty.
20 DEAD IN TEXAS: The rainfall that caused a deluge in Texas ended for the most part in Houston and was moving east, threatening to dump an additional 8-12 inches. Southeastern Texas, including the saturated Houston area, was dealing with the aftermath of the catastrophic storm that reportedly claimed 20 lives and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a midnight to 5 a.m. curfew until further notice. He tweeted the move was meant to prevent property crimes at evacuated homes. For the first time since Harvey rammed Houston over the weekend, authorities said the floodwaters that turned the city into rivers were slowly receding in some areas.
TRUMP VISITS TEXAS: US President Donald Trump visited Texas to survey the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, but was slammed for not meeting or mentioning any storm victims. The President and First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday visited Corpus Christi, where Hurricane Harvey first made landfall on Friday. Trump later went to Austin for meetings with government officials and to survey the damage, as search-and-rescue operations were in full swing across the state.
PREZ NOT TO VISIT HOUSTON: Trump will not be visiting Houston, the White House said as he did not want his visit to "disrupt" the emergency response. The catastrophic natural disaster has so far claimed 20 lives and forced tens and thousands of people to flee deluged homes.
COSTLIEST NATURAL DISASTER: Hurricane Harvey's damage was expected to run well into the tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest US natural disasters. City officials were preparing to temporarily house some 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee the area. The mayor of Houston announced an indefinite 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew amid reports of looting, armed robberies and people impersonating police officers.