Flooding Disaster In Houston -- News Updates August 30, 2017

Daily Mail: Heaviest rain in history: Catastrophic scenes in Houston as 200,000 people are forced from their homes by flooding and 10,000 survivors fill convention center to TWICE its capacity after Harvey breaks American rainfall record

* The George R Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, Texas, has a capacity of up to 5,000 people
* However, Monday night 9,021 flood evacuees crammed into the center, sleeping on chairs and even the floor
* People continued to flock to the overcrowded shelter Tuesday as Houston plans to open more mega-shelters
* US Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said there are about 20,000 Harvey evacuees in shelters
* Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards offered to take in evacuees from Texas even as southwest Louisiana suffers from flooding and hundreds of people were evacuated on Monday night and Tuesday morning
* Record for rainfall for a tropical system was set Tuesday for continental US - 51.88inches in Cedar Bayou
* Mayor Sylvester Turner implemented an overnight curfew Tuesday from 12am to 5am to prevent crime
* Residents near Columbia Lakes were told Tuesday morning to leave immediately after a levee was breached
* Chemical plant Arkema SA in Crosby, Texas, was evacuated Tuesday because of the rising risk of an explosion
* Residents within 1.5miles of the chemical facility were also told to evacuate as a 'precautionary measure'
* Public health officials warned flooding increases risk of many illnesses including bacterial and viral infections
* At least 18 are dead but it is likely that number will rise as the floods recede and more victims are found
* Though military help has been limited, up to 30,000 National Guard troops could be called on to help in Texas

Hurricane Harvey has dumped the most rain on the continental US in history it was revealed today - as catastrophic scenes unfold in Houston with shelters overwhelmed with survivors, a curfew in place to prevent looting, dams overflowing and a chemical plant at risk of exploding.

According to Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, there are currently about 20,000 Hurricane Harvey evacuees in shelters.

Many of Houston's evacuees are crammed into the city's convention center which is now overcrowded with 10,000 evacuees - double what officials initially planned.

The George R Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, Texas, has a capacity of up to 5,000 people, but Monday night 9,021 people stayed in the center, many sleeping on chairs and on the floor because of a shortage of cots.

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Flooding Disaster In Houston -- News Updates August 30, 2017

Houston Chronicle
KHOU Houston
WFAA
Harvey Live Updates: With Death Toll at 30, Storm Makes 2nd Landfall -- New York Times

Crippled Houston watches dams, levees; forecast offers hope -- AP
Houston imposes night curfew to prevent looting -- Reuters
As Harvey breaks rainfall record, Houston imposes a curfew and death toll climbs to 18 -- Los Angeles Times
Harvey makes second landfall along Louisiana-Texas border -- CNN
Western Louisiana in crosshairs as Harvey moves back to land -- AP
Harvey makes landfall again, Texas death toll mounts from record floods -- Reuters
Harvey makes second landfall, hitting Louisiana -- AFP
Houston Endures Record Rain; Curfew Declared to Prevent Looting -- Voice of America
Trump reassures those in Harvey’s path that he will help -- AP
Divided US embraces floods as chance to pull together -- AFP
Posts, tweets spread widely as the Harvey missing are sought -- AP
'Apocalyptic' Flooding Has Harvey's Damages Rising by the Hour -- Bloomberg