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Ex-hurricane Harvey: Houston flooded as catastrophe unfolds in Texas – latest updates Ex-hurricane Harvey: Houston flooded as catastrophe unfolds in Texas – latest updates
(35 minutes later)
4.26am BST
04:26
The damage from Hurricane Harvey might equal that from Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in US history, an insurance research group has said.
The Insurance Information Institute said it was still too soon to make precise estimates but it based its prediction on the sheer amount of water still coming in, rather than the earlier damage from hurricane winds.
Andrew Siffert at at insurance broker BMS Group said it was easy to understand that Harvey would cause well over $10bn in economic loss.
Hurricane Katrina resulted in more than $15bn in flood insurance losses in Louisiana and Mississippi that were paid by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a federal program that is the only source of flood insurance for most Americans.
Many residents in Texas rely on the NFIP, which is about $25bn in debt and has been a target for congressional reform. It will expire at the end of September unless it is renewed.
It worth mentioning that Donald Trump’s proposed budget calls for a $667m cut to state and local Federal Emergency Management Agency programmes that focus on disaster preparation.
4.18am BST
04:18
The Houston Chronicle has extraordinary drone footage showing some of Houston’s flooded bayous. It says the footage was taken by Ahmed Gul from the University of Houston.
4.10am BST
04:10
Mandatory evacuation for homes on Huntington Rd. Unknown if bridge into area will hold as river levels rise. Bridge is only way out. #Harvey pic.twitter.com/InblQc5Rej
4.08am BST
04:08
The National Weather Service has released some extraordinary rainfall totals from the past 72 hours. Parts of Harris County (eastern Houston) and Galveston County, further south-east on the coast, have been hit by 26 inches (66cm) of rain.
4.02am BST
04:02
More from our correspondent on those water releases that will affect Buffalo Bayou, a vital waterway through Houston.
Tom Dart writes:
Houston is dubbed the Bayou City for good reason, and Buffalo extends all the way through the city and suburbs for dozens of miles, right through downtown, through some of the richest areas – and the poorest. It feeds from the west into the Ship Channel in the east, leading to Galveston Bay. Anyone living near a bayou is especially vulnerable right now, and notorious, regular flood hotspot Meyerland, just south-west of downtown, has again been one of the worst-hit areas because of its proximity to Brays Bayou.
3.59am BST
03:59
This map from storm chaser Josh Morgerman gives a good picture of the path that Harvey has taken since its category 4 hurricane days. The concern – which was widely predicted – is that it will return to the coast, gather strength and create more problems. The National Hurricane Center has recently said that Harvey has increased slightly in power.
Big picture: #HARVEY's track since landfall, (NHC positions). Center wobbled ashore, looped NW of Victoria, now heading for Matagorda Bay. pic.twitter.com/CLdfMpefhF
3.55am BST3.55am BST
03:5503:55
Dallas – which is 240 miles (390km) north of Houston – has so far opened up three shelters to take in the displaced. It plans to open the city’s main convention center, the Kay Bailey Hutchison convention center, to offer another 5,000 beds by Tuesday morning.Dallas – which is 240 miles (390km) north of Houston – has so far opened up three shelters to take in the displaced. It plans to open the city’s main convention center, the Kay Bailey Hutchison convention center, to offer another 5,000 beds by Tuesday morning.
3.51am BST3.51am BST
03:5103:51
3.46am BST3.46am BST
03:4603:46
Tom DartTom Dart
Rain in far west Houston is now the strongest it has been all weekend and radar images suggest no let-up for several hours, bringing added anxiety to residents close to the Barker and Addicks reservoirs, which collect water and protect central Houston by reducing the impact of flooding along the Buffalo Bayou.Rain in far west Houston is now the strongest it has been all weekend and radar images suggest no let-up for several hours, bringing added anxiety to residents close to the Barker and Addicks reservoirs, which collect water and protect central Houston by reducing the impact of flooding along the Buffalo Bayou.
The Army Corps of Engineers is set to release water from the reservoirs in the coming hours, in effect allowing some neighborhoods to flood in order to keep a bigger disaster from unspooling downriver. Some are already under a voluntary evacuation order. Population growth in this part of Houston has been explosive over the past decade, fueled by the oil boom. It’s close to a quarter known as the Energy Corridor, where many oil companies big and small are headquartered. That means more houses and apartments built close to the bayou and the reservoirs. And where once were fields helping to absorb rainwater are now large areas of non-porous concrete.The Army Corps of Engineers is set to release water from the reservoirs in the coming hours, in effect allowing some neighborhoods to flood in order to keep a bigger disaster from unspooling downriver. Some are already under a voluntary evacuation order. Population growth in this part of Houston has been explosive over the past decade, fueled by the oil boom. It’s close to a quarter known as the Energy Corridor, where many oil companies big and small are headquartered. That means more houses and apartments built close to the bayou and the reservoirs. And where once were fields helping to absorb rainwater are now large areas of non-porous concrete.
3.43am BST3.43am BST
03:4303:43
In this press briefing, the US Coast Guard says it has conducted more than 1,000 rescues, of which 200 were from the air.In this press briefing, the US Coast Guard says it has conducted more than 1,000 rescues, of which 200 were from the air.
US Coast Guard: We've rescued 1,200 from the #HoustonFloods - 200 from the air pic.twitter.com/v9SuvxrxjzUS Coast Guard: We've rescued 1,200 from the #HoustonFloods - 200 from the air pic.twitter.com/v9Suvxrxjz
3.41am BST
03:41
People who fled Aransas County – where Hurricane Harvey made landfall – have been urged not to return yet by Sheriff Bill Mills as the search for any missing people continues. There is no running water, power or phone service in the area yet.
Mills said search and rescue teams – some of which have arrived from as far away as New York and North Carolina – had covered 85% of the county and so far encountered one death. That was a person whose body was so badly burned in a mobile home fire in Rockport that medical examiners have been unable to determine the sex.
3.34am BST
03:34
A1 of Monday's Houston Chronicle. @stevegonzaleshc/@MPhillip_hc photos, design by @clarooz19. Read it all: https://t.co/zpf3pXIxa1 pic.twitter.com/ulPaKrvVQg
3.22am BST
03:22
Major water releases planned to protect Houston
The US military has said it plans to release water from two reservoirs south-west of Houston in a bid to protect the city and surrounds. Water is to be released from the Addicks reservoir from 2am on Monday and from the Barker Reservoir about 24 hours later, the Army Corps of Engineers said.
The release will cause a rise of up to 6 inches (15 cm) per hour in the Buffalo Bayou – which runs through Houston – and will cause water levels to rise both upstream and downstream for a time. “This flood event will exceed the 2016 tax day flood elevations,” said Colonel Lars Zetterstrom at a press briefing. “Structures will be impacted upstream from both locations; the number of structures affected will depend on weather conditions.”
The corps said the flooding around the Barker reservoir might affect several thousand homes.
It will take up to three months to empty the reservoirs, according to Zetterstrom.
More details (in Spanish and English) can be found here.
3.06am BST
03:06
Tornadoes are still a major risk. This alert applies for the next 30 mins, east of Houston.
Tornado Warning including Anahuac TX, Oak Island TX, Double Bayou TX until 9:30 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/Oir2QSobfn
3.05am BST
03:05
3.04am BST
03:04
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03:02
2.58am BST
02:58
Here is an interactive map showing mandatory and voluntary evacuation areas. It has a feature to type in an address and see if it is affected. It is updated in real time. It currently shows a mandatory evacuation area along the San Bernand river, south-west of Houston, a voluntary evacuation area along the Brazos river. It also shows the area likely to be affected by the planned release of the Barker reservoir.
2.52am BST
02:52
This National Weather Service map from about 20 minutes ago gives an idea of the areas most at risk from the downpours. The orange and red areas of highest rainfall are focused south-west of central Houston, where authorities are planning to release dams. Victoria can be seen in the lower left corner and Beaumont and Lake Charles on the right hand side.
8:30 PM CDT radar shows two heavy rain bands setting up, giving a better idea of which areas will see 5-10" of rain and isolated 15-25" pic.twitter.com/hKRD9RvLn0
2.46am BST
02:46
We are expecting a briefing soon on the planned releases of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs. This is part of central Houston’s flood control system.