Hurricane Harvey isn't over yet - State enters 'second deadly phase' as agony has just begun

Unprecidented 'Flood of a Lifetime' leaves hundreds of thousands in need of help

Hurricane Harvey reached Category 4 as it tore across the Gulf Coast of Texas with 130 miles per hour winds over the weekend.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Hundreds of thousands of lives will be forever changed after experiencing what many are calling the Flood of a Lifetime. As of Sunday night, five people were reported dead and dozens of others injured.

According to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, the Houston police and fire departments rescued more than 1,000 people and received nearly 6,000 calls for help as the Hurricane tore through the county.

Thousands of people have fled their homes in kayaks or swimming in the flooded streets. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), believes it will take years for the area to recover from the storm.

More than 450,000 people will likely seek federal aid while recovering from the storm and about 30,000 people will seek emergency shelter and support for years, according to the New York Times.

Mayor Turner defends his decision not to order an evacuation of the city before the hurricane.
 
"If you think the situation right now is bad, you give an order to evacuate; you are creating a nightmare. Especially when it's not planned," he stated during a Sunday update on the city's outcome, according to ABC News. "If you do it or attempt to do it and it's not coordinated, not done right, you are literally putting people in harm's way, and you're creating a far worse situation."

"You cannot put in the city of Houston 2.3 million people on the road -- that is dangerous. When you combine Houston and Harris county, you literally cannot put 6.5 million people on the road."

More than 30 inches of pounded parts of the Houston area during the hurricane, causing catastrophic floods. Although Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded from a Category 4 to a tropical storm, the areas are expecting even more rain through the remainder of the week with 15 to 25 more inches to pummel the region.

"FEMA is going to be there for years, sir. This disaster recovery - this disaster is going to be a landmark event," administrator Brock Long said. "This disaster's going to be a landmark event."

It is believed the worse is not over for the state as they enter the "second deadly phase" - the floods.

"It could be a flood loss like Katrina because of the amount of water that's coming in ... not as much wind as it will be water," said the Insurance Information Institute spokeswoman Loretta Worters.

"If it lingers over the land it could cause massive flooding," expressed CBS Science Contributor Michio Kaku. "Then, watch out, if it goes back into the Gulf it could get re-energized and create a second, even a third landfall."

According to Mayor Turner, 22 aircraft are working to help identify those stranded on rooftops and up to 35 boats and 93 dump trucks are being used for high water rescues.

According to Charles Bujan, mayor of Port Aransas, his town was completely obliterated by Harvey. "To be honest with you, I'm sick to my stomach," he told The San Antonio Express, according to the Daily Mail, noting an entire trailer park washed away. "It's a 100 percent loss."

Vast areas of Port Aransas are inaccessible because of the damage, so authorities have yet to be able to assess the amount of damage adequately.

According to the Daily Mail, water will be released into the Buffalo Bayou from two flood-control dams on Monday morning by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This must be done very slowly, expressed Col. Lars Zetterstrom, because it could cause uncontrollable flooding in downtown Houston and the Houston Ship Channel.

President Trump has tweeted out in response to the record-setting Hurricane damage, appearing upbeat in his analysis.

"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," he tweeted. "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 midst of his tweets, he added he would be visiting Missouri, "that I won by a lot in '16" and that Mexico was "one of the highest crime Nations in the world."

"The President will travel to Texas on Tuesday. We are coordinating logistics with state and local officials, and once details are finalized, we will let you know," read a statement from the White House on Sunday. "We continue to keep all of those affected in our thoughts and prayers."

As the weekend came to an end, countless people woke up to a new reality - "tired, hungry, and bracing for more."

According to local authorities, the catastrophe is only now unfolding, and the agony has only "just begun."

Donations to the Red Cross for those affected by Harvey can be made here or by texting HARVEY to 90999

Catholic Charities is also accepting donations here or by texting CCUSADISASTER to 71777

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