So far, authorities have confirmed only three deaths associated with the storm, but officials have acknowledged that Harvey-linked fatalities could soar once the floodwater recede from the fourth most populous city in America.
HOUSTON – More than three days after a Category 4 hurricane ravaged the Texas coastline, rescue crews are preparing for the worst.
So far, authorities have confirmed only three deaths associated with the storm, but officials have acknowledged that Harvey-linked fatalities could soar once the floodwater recede from the fourth most populous city in America.
How huge was Hurricane Harvey? It would have covered most of Michigan
“We know in these kind of events that, sadly, the death toll goes up historically, ” Houston police Chief Art Acevedo told The Associated Press. “I’m really worried about how many bodies we’re going to find.”
Harvey has unleashed a nearly-constant barrage of rain on the 10,000-square mile area that makes up Metro Houston.
Nearly 2 more feet of rain is expected on top of the 30-plus inches that has already fallen in some places. Some authorities have worried the worst might be yet to come, according to The AP.
The storm is generating an amount of rain that would normally be seen only once in more than 1,000 years, Edmond Russo, a deputy district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers told The AP.
Despite the grim realities faced by rescuers and citizens alike, around-the-clock efforts to save as many people as possible continue.
Mayor Sylvester Turner put the number rescued by police at more than 3,000. The Associated Press reports the Coast Guard said it had rescued more than 3,000 by boat and air and was taking more than 1,000 calls per hour.
Harvey is the fiercest hurricane to hit the U. S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961’s Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record, according to the AP.
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