18 dead and over 13,000 rescued as floodwaters rise from Storm Harvey
Harvey makes landfall again in Louisiana as Houston’s mayor imposes a curfew amid reports of looting. At least 18 people have died and 13,000 more have been rescued as Tropical Storm Harvey dumps record rainfall in and around Houston. As thousands of people fled their deluged homes, Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, imposed a curfew amid reports of looting and armed robberies.
Officials say they have received disturbing reports of people impersonating Homeland Security special agents and telling residents to evacuate in order to rob their homes. The heaviest tropical downpour in US history has left an area 15 times the size of Manhattan under water, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper. City officials readied temporary housing for about 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee as flooding entered its fourth day and space ran out in cramped shelters.
With many reported missing, the number of dead is expected to rise once floodwaters start to recede. The National Hurricane Center says the storm has now made a second landfall – hitting Louisiana, a state that still bears deep scars from deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is expected to produce an additional 15 cm to 30cm (6in to 12in) of rain to the north and east of Houston as it moves into southwestern Louisiana. Sky News
