Harvey hits Texas

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[h=1]Five feared dead in Hurricane Harvey as floods wash over Texas and residents brace for second deadly phase of the storm[/h]

• Two people have been reported dead in Houston and another three are feared dead in Aransas County
• The Category 4 hurricane has been downgraded to a tropical storm but the fresh concern is flooding
• In Houston, residents are climbing to their attics to escape rising flood waters in the floors below
• One woman's body was seen floating down the street and entire coastal communities have been wiped out
• Donald Trump celebrated the response from emergency services who have so far rescued thousands
• He vowed to visit the state once it was safe and said the 'good news is there is talent on the ground'
• Local authorities say the catastrophe is only now unfolding and others warn the agony has 'just begun'

 

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Five people were reported dead on Sunday as the Hurricane Harvey death toll climbed.
Three people are feared dead in Aransas County and another two are thought to have died in Houston as 130mph winds and thrashing rain lashed the region.
The Category 4 hurricane, dubbed the worst in 12 years, made landfall late on Friday, battering the coast.
It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm and is making its way inland, bringing with it a torrent of heavy rain and further concern for emergency authorities who fear it will trigger some of the worst flooding on record in the state.
With another 40in of downpours on the way on Sunday, the true scale of the damage is yet to reveal itself.
Thousands have been rescued from boats, homes and vehicles after becoming trapped in flood water.
As local mayors and weather experts lamented the state's worst flooding on record and warned that the agony had 'just begun', President Trump took a more upbeat tone in a string of early morning tweets, saying that the 'good news' was there was 'talent on the ground' to help cope with the disaster.

 

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Flooding washed over Houston on Sunday morning as the second deadly phase of Hurricane Harvey gripped Texas

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An abandoned hummer sinks in floodwater on another section of the busy Interstate 610 in Houston on Sunday

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A family evacuates their home in a canoe, bringing their beloved dogs with them in Meyerland near Houston

 

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In residential areas of Houston, 4x4s floated in the flood water as yet more rain pounded the city

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Two kayakers beat the current as they make their way along South Braeswood in Houston, Texas, on Sunday

He congratulated 'all levels of government' for their response to the disaster and vowed to visit Texas as soon as it was safe for him to do so.

'Great coordination between agencies at all levels of government. Continuing rains and flash floods are being dealt with. Thousands rescued.
'Many people are now saying that this is the worst storm/hurricane they have ever seen. Good news is that we have great talent on the ground.

President Trump congratulated the orchestrated response of emergency workers and 'all levels of government' to the hurricane on Sunday

'I will be going to Texas as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption. The focus must be life and safety.'
In the same flurry, he announced he would soon be returning to Missouri for a visit, taking the opportunity to remind followers that he won the state in the 2016 election.
'I will also be going to a wonderful state, Missouri, that I won by a lot in '16. Dem C.M. is opposed to big tax cuts. Republican will win S!' he wrote.
Around an hour later, he returned to his account to marvel at the size of the storm.
'Wow - Now experts are calling Harvey a once in 500 year flood! We have an all out effort going, and going well!'
He then complained about Mexico being 'one of the highest crime Nations in the world', pleaded again for 'The Wall' and then threatened to scrap the US's trade deal with the country and Canada.
'We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with Mexico & Canada.Both being very difficult,may have to terminate?' he said.
In Texas, local politicians, police and weather experts in painted a dire picture of the devastation Harvey has brought.
CBS Science Contributor Michio Kaku said on Sunday: 'If it lingers over the land it could cause massive flooding.
'Then, watch out, if it goes back into the Gulf it could get re-energized and create a second, even a third landfall.
'So the agony has just begun with this hurricane of the decade.'

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A preacher wades in to the water in Houston to check for trapped motorists inside submerged cars

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Men wearing trash bags wade through the waist-deep water in Houston on Sunday

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Houston residents Vincente Navas and Alma Barrientos stand outside their home in Cottage Grove where the water was knee deep

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An abandoned car is submerged on water on the Interstate 610 on Sunday as flood waters covered the region

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Grocery stores placed limits on the number of water bottles customers could buy. There were none left int his store in Austin on Sunday