Harvey was downgraded Saturday to a tropical storm after the Category
4 hurricane caused heavy damage and electrical outages for nearly
400,000 homes and businesses across the Texas coast.
Some homes
and business were completely destroyed as the storm poured nearly 20
inches (0.5 meters) of rain and caused a surge of more than 6 feet in
some areas.
"We know there is widespread devastation," Rockport
Mayor C.J. Wax told reporters. "I think it’s safe to say we took a
Category 4 right on the nose, and we’d appreciate everyone’s prayers."
Tens
of thousands of residents had already fled cities in the path of the
hurricane, and cleared grocery store shelves. School district canceled
events Friday as well as classes Monday.
In addition, nearly 4,500
inmates from three state prisons have been transferred to other
prisons. And national guard troops have been deployed to the state.
Harvey
made landfall with sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (209
kilometers per hour) late Friday and before it is finished is expected
to create "historic” damage in Texas as well as southwest Louisiana and
even as far away as Mississippi, according to the National Weather
Service.
President Donald Trump who left for vacation Friday as
the storm approached, said Saturday state and federal authorities are
integrated to battle the storm.
"Closely monitoring
#HurricaneHarvey from Camp David,” he wrote in a tweet Saturday. "We are
leaving nothing to chance. City, State and Federal Govs. working great
together!”
Harvey would be the first major hurricane to hit Texas
since Hurricane Ike caused $22 billion in damages in 2008 and Hurricane
Claudette caused $180 million in damages in 2003.
Homeland
Security Advisor Tom Bossert rejected criticism that plans to keep
immigration checkpoints open during the hurricane would prevent
undocumented immigrants from seeking shelter.
"People shouldn’t be fearful of going to a shelter and receiving food and water,” he said. "That’s not a problem.”
(Anadolu Agency)