Houston is inundated by a storm 'beyond anything experienced before'
HOUSTON _ People across southeastern Texas scrambled to find shelter Sunday as Tropical Storm Harvey continued to drench the state, dropping up to 24 inches on Houston in 24 hours, flooding bayous and rivers, and unleashing one of the worst natural disasters in Texas history.
At least five people were reported dead, according to the National Weather Service in Houston, and authorities expect that number to climb as floodwaters recede.
With some areas bracing for 50 or more inches of rain _ more rainfall than many Texas towns get in a year _ the National Weather Service warned that "catastrophic" flooding in the nation's fourth largest city was expected to worsen and could be "unprecedented."
"Local rainfall amounts of 50 inches would exceed any previous Texas rainfall record," the weather service said in a statement. "The breadth and intensity of this rainfall are beyond anything experienced before."
More than 3,000 national and state guard troops were deployed to assist with rescue and recovery efforts Sunday, and the White House announced that President Donald Trump plans to travel to the state on Tuesday.
At a Sunday evening news conference, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said that 911 operators had received 56,000 calls since 10 p.m. Saturday. Police and fire departments had received nearly 6,000 calls
