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| Harvey Live Updates: Storm’s Wrath Shifts After Second Landfall | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| As the sun emerged and water began to recede in parts of flood-ravaged Houston, Tropical Storm Harvey shifted its wrath to the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Texas, hitting the region Tuesday and Wednesday with record-breaking rainfall and devastating floods. | |
| “Our whole city is underwater right now but we are coming!” Port Arthur’s mayor, Derrick Freeman, said in a Facebook message overnight, as desperate residents sent out calls for help on social media. | “Our whole city is underwater right now but we are coming!” Port Arthur’s mayor, Derrick Freeman, said in a Facebook message overnight, as desperate residents sent out calls for help on social media. |
| Water filled homes and submerged roads, people crowded shelters, local officials urged people who needed rescue to hang sheets or towels from windows, forecasters warned that the storm could spawn tornadoes, and the Louisiana State Police closed Interstate 10 heading toward Beaumont, just a few miles from the state line. The rain was expected to continue until Friday. | |
| In Houston, residents woke after the first night of a citywide curfew, many of them going outside for the first time in days to survey the wreckage the storm left behind. | |
| Here is the latest: | Here is the latest: |
| • Local officials have reported at least 31 deaths that were related or suspected to be related to the storm. The victims include a police officer who died on his way to work; a mother who was swept into a canal while her child survived by clinging to her; a woman who died when a tree fell on her mobile home; and a family that is believed to have drowned while trying to escape floodwaters in a van. | • Local officials have reported at least 31 deaths that were related or suspected to be related to the storm. The victims include a police officer who died on his way to work; a mother who was swept into a canal while her child survived by clinging to her; a woman who died when a tree fell on her mobile home; and a family that is believed to have drowned while trying to escape floodwaters in a van. |
| • There are more than 30,000 people in 230 shelters across Texas, said Federal Emergency Management Agency officials on Wednesday, but they cautioned that number would likely change dramatically as more people arrived. About 1,800 people have been transferred from shelters to local motels and hotels. | • There are more than 30,000 people in 230 shelters across Texas, said Federal Emergency Management Agency officials on Wednesday, but they cautioned that number would likely change dramatically as more people arrived. About 1,800 people have been transferred from shelters to local motels and hotels. |
| • The storm made its second landfall at 4 a.m. Wednesday just west of Cameron, La., near the Texas border, the National Hurricane Center said. Harvey was expected to move northeast, gradually weakening and becoming a tropical depression by Wednesday night. | • The storm made its second landfall at 4 a.m. Wednesday just west of Cameron, La., near the Texas border, the National Hurricane Center said. Harvey was expected to move northeast, gradually weakening and becoming a tropical depression by Wednesday night. |
| • Parts of the Houston area set a record for rainfall from a single storm anywhere in the continental United States, with a top reading on Wednesday morning of 51.88 inches since the storm began, though the threat of heavy rainfall has passed for the Houston and Galveston areas. Flooding remains a concern in Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and southwest Louisiana, the center said. | • Parts of the Houston area set a record for rainfall from a single storm anywhere in the continental United States, with a top reading on Wednesday morning of 51.88 inches since the storm began, though the threat of heavy rainfall has passed for the Houston and Galveston areas. Flooding remains a concern in Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and southwest Louisiana, the center said. |
| . | . |
| • Times journalists are chronicling the storm and its aftermath. Here is a collection of the most powerful photographs, and a guide to our coverage. | • Times journalists are chronicling the storm and its aftermath. Here is a collection of the most powerful photographs, and a guide to our coverage. |
| • Follow Times correspondents covering the storm on Twitter: Manny Fernandez, Alan Blinder, Julie Turkewitz, Jack Healy, Dave Philipps, Annie Correal, Rick Rojas, Monica Davey, Richard Fausset, Richard Pérez-Peña and Audra Burch. A collection of their tweets is here. | • Follow Times correspondents covering the storm on Twitter: Manny Fernandez, Alan Blinder, Julie Turkewitz, Jack Healy, Dave Philipps, Annie Correal, Rick Rojas, Monica Davey, Richard Fausset, Richard Pérez-Peña and Audra Burch. A collection of their tweets is here. |
| • Are you in an affected area? If you are safe, and are able to, share your story by email to hurricane@nytimes.com. And here are ways you can contribute to relief efforts. | • Are you in an affected area? If you are safe, and are able to, share your story by email to hurricane@nytimes.com. And here are ways you can contribute to relief efforts. |
| Those cities and other places in Jefferson County, Tex., east of Houston, were desperate for help Wednesday morning after heavy rain there overnight caused floodwaters to rise precipitously. | Those cities and other places in Jefferson County, Tex., east of Houston, were desperate for help Wednesday morning after heavy rain there overnight caused floodwaters to rise precipitously. |
| In Beaumont, emergency workers recused a young girl who was floating in the floodwaters, suffering from hypothermia and clinging to her mother’s body. The mother died, but the girl was in stable condition, the police said in a statement. | In Beaumont, emergency workers recused a young girl who was floating in the floodwaters, suffering from hypothermia and clinging to her mother’s body. The mother died, but the girl was in stable condition, the police said in a statement. |
| The mother and daughter were driving down a service road when they pulled into a parking lot and got stuck, according to the police. They exited the car, but were swept away by the water, floating about half a mile from the car. A group of emergency officials found the pair just before they were swept under a trestle. Had they floated under it, the workers would not have been able to save the child, the police said. | The mother and daughter were driving down a service road when they pulled into a parking lot and got stuck, according to the police. They exited the car, but were swept away by the water, floating about half a mile from the car. A group of emergency officials found the pair just before they were swept under a trestle. Had they floated under it, the workers would not have been able to save the child, the police said. |
| Local news reports from Port Arthur showed that shelters and homes were flooded and residents and reporters said that there were not enough people answering emergency calls. Calls for help from residents surged on social media. | Local news reports from Port Arthur showed that shelters and homes were flooded and residents and reporters said that there were not enough people answering emergency calls. Calls for help from residents surged on social media. |
| “Our heart is breaking for our community,” said a Facebook post from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. | “Our heart is breaking for our community,” said a Facebook post from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. |
| Rain fell with astonishing intensity in the county, about 100 miles east of Houston, which is home to about 254,000 people. Between 2 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday local time, almost 19 inches of rain hit Jack Brooks Regional Airport, between Beaumont and Port Arthur. Total rainfall on Tuesday was 26 inches, more than double the previous single-day record there. | Rain fell with astonishing intensity in the county, about 100 miles east of Houston, which is home to about 254,000 people. Between 2 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday local time, almost 19 inches of rain hit Jack Brooks Regional Airport, between Beaumont and Port Arthur. Total rainfall on Tuesday was 26 inches, more than double the previous single-day record there. |
| The rainfall total since the storm began reached more than 45 inches on Wednesday, and will climb. Rain was forecast to continue steadily through Wednesday and Thursday, before easing off on Friday. | |
| Meagan Johnson, a resident of Orange, said parts of that city that she does not remember ever flooding were now overflowing. Her home did not have water in it, but the water had blocked in her street, and she was staying in her house without power. Her husband was out helping with rescues, and her father, an electrician for the city of Beaumont, was stuck there at work, making sure the city’s water pumps were working. | Meagan Johnson, a resident of Orange, said parts of that city that she does not remember ever flooding were now overflowing. Her home did not have water in it, but the water had blocked in her street, and she was staying in her house without power. Her husband was out helping with rescues, and her father, an electrician for the city of Beaumont, was stuck there at work, making sure the city’s water pumps were working. |
| “I can’t even wrap my mind around how much rain this storm brought,” Ms. Johnson said in a telephone interview. “It’s not comparable. I’ve never seen this much rain in my entire life.” | “I can’t even wrap my mind around how much rain this storm brought,” Ms. Johnson said in a telephone interview. “It’s not comparable. I’ve never seen this much rain in my entire life.” |
| “I guess we’re really fortunate,” said Mike Steele, the spokesman for Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. | |
| There were around two dozen rescues in southwest Louisiana overnight, Mr. Steele said, and around 200 people staying in shelters. Some of those in the shelter in Lake Charles were evacuees from Texas, which overnight took a punishing rainfall that seemed to almost taper off right at the Louisiana state line. | There were around two dozen rescues in southwest Louisiana overnight, Mr. Steele said, and around 200 people staying in shelters. Some of those in the shelter in Lake Charles were evacuees from Texas, which overnight took a punishing rainfall that seemed to almost taper off right at the Louisiana state line. |
| “It’s incredible because it looks like a lot of the severe major problems kind of stopped right around Orange, Tex.,” he said, referring to a town on the state line. | “It’s incredible because it looks like a lot of the severe major problems kind of stopped right around Orange, Tex.,” he said, referring to a town on the state line. |
| While concerns linger over flooding in southwestern Louisiana, the attention will be turning over the day to rainfall in central parts of the state, as Harvey travels northward, and in New Orleans, where the city’s drainage pumps have been plagued by problems. | While concerns linger over flooding in southwestern Louisiana, the attention will be turning over the day to rainfall in central parts of the state, as Harvey travels northward, and in New Orleans, where the city’s drainage pumps have been plagued by problems. |
| We spoke with Jeffrey Lindner, a meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District, on Tuesday to put the rain totals in perspective. | We spoke with Jeffrey Lindner, a meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District, on Tuesday to put the rain totals in perspective. |
| Of the 1,800 square miles of land that make up Harris County, which includes Houston, 25 to 30 percent “has been inundated,” Mr. Lindner said. Over four days, more than a trillion gallons of rain fell in the county — enough to “run Niagara Falls for 15 days,” he said, or fill the Houston Astrodome 3,200 times. | Of the 1,800 square miles of land that make up Harris County, which includes Houston, 25 to 30 percent “has been inundated,” Mr. Lindner said. Over four days, more than a trillion gallons of rain fell in the county — enough to “run Niagara Falls for 15 days,” he said, or fill the Houston Astrodome 3,200 times. |
| On average, the depth of the floodwaters countywide was 33 inches. But now that the rain is moving into Louisiana, Mr. Lindner said the flooding — reservoirs excepted — should drain by Friday or Saturday. | On average, the depth of the floodwaters countywide was 33 inches. But now that the rain is moving into Louisiana, Mr. Lindner said the flooding — reservoirs excepted — should drain by Friday or Saturday. |
| Thousands of people in shelters were still seeking information about their families and friends, and the state of their homes and their city, unsure when they could return home, if ever. | |
| The rain has stopped there, but the danger has not. Though the inundation from days of record rainfall has begun to recede, swollen rivers still have not crested in some places as water makes its way downstream. | |
| Officials have imposed a curfew, from midnight to 5 a.m., and are counseling patience, resilience and continued caution. The Houston Police Department requested the curfew partly in response to reports of “small-scale looting” and other crimes, Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Tuesday evening. He added that the curfew would help search and rescue teams get around without interference. | |
| Juan Machado, 37, an auto mechanic, hiked a child’s flotation ring up around his chest and entered the dark water on Tuesday. | Juan Machado, 37, an auto mechanic, hiked a child’s flotation ring up around his chest and entered the dark water on Tuesday. |
| He’d come with his wife and her cousins to East Houston, an industrial part of the city filled with mechanic shops and dumpsites, as well as the homes of many working-class immigrants. “We’re here for his dog,” his wife, Marisela Arevalo, 25, said. | He’d come with his wife and her cousins to East Houston, an industrial part of the city filled with mechanic shops and dumpsites, as well as the homes of many working-class immigrants. “We’re here for his dog,” his wife, Marisela Arevalo, 25, said. |
| They were among a crowd of people that formed by a flooded stretch of highway. Some of them were residents who had come to see if they could reach flooded homes to recover a few belongings from high-up places. The place reeked of a gasoline, and a crossing train alarm refused to cease, clanging for hours. | They were among a crowd of people that formed by a flooded stretch of highway. Some of them were residents who had come to see if they could reach flooded homes to recover a few belongings from high-up places. The place reeked of a gasoline, and a crossing train alarm refused to cease, clanging for hours. |
| Ms. Arevalo said their house had been flooded up to their knees, and they had to leave without their dog, Camilo. “He left him over there,” she said, pointing to Mr. Machado’s mechanic shop, “on top of a trailer.” | Ms. Arevalo said their house had been flooded up to their knees, and they had to leave without their dog, Camilo. “He left him over there,” she said, pointing to Mr. Machado’s mechanic shop, “on top of a trailer.” |
| Mr. Machado trudged through the water, and nearly disappeared at the horizon. An hour later, he returned, shivering, his lips blue, to his waiting family. “The current was too strong,” he said, head bowed. He couldn’t reach the shop. Camilo, it seemed, would not be rescued. | Mr. Machado trudged through the water, and nearly disappeared at the horizon. An hour later, he returned, shivering, his lips blue, to his waiting family. “The current was too strong,” he said, head bowed. He couldn’t reach the shop. Camilo, it seemed, would not be rescued. |
| The Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday morning that efforts to slow the rise of water levels at two large flood-control reservoirs west of downtown were succeeding, reducing the risk of additional flooding. | The Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday morning that efforts to slow the rise of water levels at two large flood-control reservoirs west of downtown were succeeding, reducing the risk of additional flooding. |
| Edmond Russo Jr. of the Galveston District said a decision to increase controlled flows through dam gates at the reservoirs, Addicks and Barker, to a total of about 13,000 cubic feet per second had slowed the rise of the water, and that both reservoirs were expected to peak soon at levels that are slightly below previous estimates. | Edmond Russo Jr. of the Galveston District said a decision to increase controlled flows through dam gates at the reservoirs, Addicks and Barker, to a total of about 13,000 cubic feet per second had slowed the rise of the water, and that both reservoirs were expected to peak soon at levels that are slightly below previous estimates. |
| He said only a small amount of water was now flowing over a spillway at the north end of Addicks dam, and the volume was not expected to increase. No similar uncontrolled releases are expected at Barker. | He said only a small amount of water was now flowing over a spillway at the north end of Addicks dam, and the volume was not expected to increase. No similar uncontrolled releases are expected at Barker. |
| Still, a spokesman for the Harris County Flood Control District said that about 4,000 homes, mostly west of the reservoirs, have been flooded as the rising reservoirs have encroached on private land. Water is as much as six feet deep in some subdivisions, and some homes will likely remain inundated for weeks, said Mr. Lindler, the flood control district meteorologist and spokesman. | Still, a spokesman for the Harris County Flood Control District said that about 4,000 homes, mostly west of the reservoirs, have been flooded as the rising reservoirs have encroached on private land. Water is as much as six feet deep in some subdivisions, and some homes will likely remain inundated for weeks, said Mr. Lindler, the flood control district meteorologist and spokesman. |
| The controlled releases through the gates are draining into Buffalo Bayou, causing a local increase of one to three feet in the waterway. But farther east, he said, levels of the bayou — a source of much flooding downtown — are declining, he said. | The controlled releases through the gates are draining into Buffalo Bayou, causing a local increase of one to three feet in the waterway. But farther east, he said, levels of the bayou — a source of much flooding downtown — are declining, he said. |
| Separately, Mr. Lindner said that authorities were maintaining a mandatory evacuation order for part of a subdivision along Cypress Creek, north of downtown. Seepage was noticed near a levee protecting the subdivision, Inverness Forest, and crews were trying to determine the cause. Seepage can be a sign of imminent levee failure. | Separately, Mr. Lindner said that authorities were maintaining a mandatory evacuation order for part of a subdivision along Cypress Creek, north of downtown. Seepage was noticed near a levee protecting the subdivision, Inverness Forest, and crews were trying to determine the cause. Seepage can be a sign of imminent levee failure. |