Overwhelmed by the news from Texas and Louisiana since Hurricane Harvey made landfall? Here is an overview of coverage. According to the National Weather Service, “This event is unprecedented and all impacts are unknown and beyond anything experienced.”
What’s happening on the ground
Local officials blame at least 31 deaths and many more injuries on the storm, which has inundated parts of the Houston area with more than three feet of rain. In some places, totals surpassed 51 inches, setting a record fоr the continental United States. And, in Harris County, which includes Houston, up to 30 percent of the land had flooded, according to Jeffrey Lindner, a meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District.
While the storm began to release Houston from its grip on Wednesday, it continued to wreak havoc east of the city: “Our whole city is underwater,” Derrick Freeman, the mayor of Port Arthur, Texas, said, on Facebook early Wednesday. Harvey is now hitting southwestern Louisiana, too, where storm surge warnings and watches are in effect.
As the storm strengthened over the weekend, experts at the National Hurricane Center raced to warn the public of what was to come and grappled with how to convey іtѕ scope. More than a trillion gallons of rain fell in Harris County in four days — enough to “run Niagara Falls for 15 days,” Mr. Lindner said.
Hurricane Harvey has been especially devastating especially for a number of reasons, and climate change is one. Climate change amplifies storms. Warmer air can hold more moisture and warmer seas cause water to evaporate faster, which means more rainfall during storms— a key factor in Harvey’s extensive flooding.
Parts of Houston, Texas saw over two feet of rain in 24 hours. On Sunday, it was reported that there was a two and a half hour wait for 911 assistance. At least nineteen trillion gallons of water have fallen on Texas, with an additional five to 10 trillion gallons to come over the week — up to 50 inches of rain, meaning some areas will get a year’s worth of rain in a week. Lives wіll be forever changed by this historic flood. The relief workers, first responders and volunteers who are risking their lives to help those in need deserve our deepest gratitude.
What’s happening on the ground
Local officials blame at least 31 deaths and many more injuries on the storm, which has inundated parts of the Houston area with more than three feet of rain. In some places, totals surpassed 51 inches, setting a record fоr the continental United States. And, in Harris County, which includes Houston, up to 30 percent of the land had flooded, according to Jeffrey Lindner, a meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District.
While the storm began to release Houston from its grip on Wednesday, it continued to wreak havoc east of the city: “Our whole city is underwater,” Derrick Freeman, the mayor of Port Arthur, Texas, said, on Facebook early Wednesday. Harvey is now hitting southwestern Louisiana, too, where storm surge warnings and watches are in effect.
As the storm strengthened over the weekend, experts at the National Hurricane Center raced to warn the public of what was to come and grappled with how to convey іtѕ scope. More than a trillion gallons of rain fell in Harris County in four days — enough to “run Niagara Falls for 15 days,” Mr. Lindner said.
Hurricane Harvey has been especially devastating especially for a number of reasons, and climate change is one. Climate change amplifies storms. Warmer air can hold more moisture and warmer seas cause water to evaporate faster, which means more rainfall during storms— a key factor in Harvey’s extensive flooding.
Parts of Houston, Texas saw over two feet of rain in 24 hours. On Sunday, it was reported that there was a two and a half hour wait for 911 assistance. At least nineteen trillion gallons of water have fallen on Texas, with an additional five to 10 trillion gallons to come over the week — up to 50 inches of rain, meaning some areas will get a year’s worth of rain in a week. Lives wіll be forever changed by this historic flood. The relief workers, first responders and volunteers who are risking their lives to help those in need deserve our deepest gratitude.