Mass evacuations and rescues continue in wake of Hurricane Harvey

World Today

Mass evacuations and thousands of rescues in the wake of Hurricane Harvey

Mass evacuations and thousands of rescues have taken place in the wake of Hurricane Harvey – now a tropical storm.

America’s fourth-largest city – Houston – was one of the hardest hit – leaving thousands of residents homeless for the foreseeable future.

CGTN’s Nitza Soledad Perez reports.

Authorities have said 30,000 people have been displaced by Hurricane Harvey. The storm dumped record rain on the U.S. state of Texas.

“The water become so high that this morning they passed the neighborhood and army trucks and they said you have to get in the army truck you have to leave the house,” displaced Houston resident Richard Barr said.

Nearly 2,000 have been rescued by authorities so far. The entire National Guard of Texas has been activated – 12,000 helping hands. The elderly are among the most vulnerable. Shelters were set up across the city.

Stranded visitors staying in shelters helped others in need, including a mother whose toddler needed watching when she went into labor. “Her mom is, I guess, having contractions, so they took her to the hospital. I am taking care of the baby,” Brenda Saldivar said.

These are the stories of those who made it out of their flooded neighborhoods. Heavy rainfall was expected to persist in parts of Texas through Friday. The rising waters were unprecedented, catastrophic levels, forecasters say. Meanwhile, local authorities continue to focus on one top priority.

“The most important thing we have is our lives and to be able to get through this storm the way we did and save so many lives is nothing short of remarkable,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

The full level of devastation is still unknown. U.S. President Donald Trump plans to tour the devastation on Tuesday. He’s had praise for the government responsible, so far, and has promised to quickly deliver federal aid to those hit by this historic storm.