Hundreds trapped in '500-year flood' after Harvey dumps rain on Texas

Sky News
Helicopters and boats are helping deal with thousands of calls for help as "catastrophic" weather continues to pound Texas.
People trapped by rising floodwaters in Texas have been told to stand on their roofs and wait for rescue as emergency services deal with thousands of desperate calls for help.
Waters have reached as high as second-storey homes as the deluge from storm Harvey dumps tens of inches of rain on the state.
"This event is unprecedented & all impacts are unknown & beyond anything experienced. Follow orders from officials to ensure safety," tweeted the National Weather Service.
Officials told people hemmed in by water not go to their attic, but to get on top of their homes.
Areas south of Houston - America's fourth-biggest city - appear most at risk after they received around four inches (10cm) of rain an hour.
Fifty children were among those rescued from two apartment blocks in Houston's Greenspoint neighbourhood.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said conditions were "bad and growing worse" as National Guard troops were deployed to the city overnight.
He said damage was in "the billions of dollars" and there had been 1,000 water rescues.
Dozens of boats and five Coast Guard helicopters have been helping pluck people to safety, while dump trucks and city buses moved Houston residents to higher ground.
The National Hurricane Center has warned of "catastrophic flooding".

Image:The scene in Rockport - one of the cities worst affected

Image:People wade through the floodwaters in Galveston
Two people are confirmed to have died so far - including a woman who tried to get out of her car in high water in Harris County.
Police in the county, which includes Houston, were using Twitter to field calls for help from people trapped in houses and cars.
"I have 2 children with me and the water is swallowing us up," tweeted one woman.

Image:'Catastrophic flooding' is taking place in Texas, says the National Hurricane Center
Sky's Siobhan Robbins, in Rosenberg - 40 minutes from Houston - said many areas are under mandatory evacuation orders.
"Emergency lines are at breaking point," said Robbins. "The police have actually said 'do not ring 911 unless you are basically about to die, unless you are under life-threatening conditions'."
President Trump said "major rescue operations" are under way, and tweeted: "Wow - Now experts are calling #Harvey a once in 500 year flood! We have an all out effort going, and going well!"
He said he would visit the state when the time was right.
"I will be going to Texas as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption," the President tweeted. "The focus must be life and safety."
In the small island community of Port Aransas, officials also said there was "massive" damage.
Police and heavy equipment had only made it into the northernmost street, its mayor said.

"I can tell you I have a very bad feeling and that's about it," said Charles Bujan, who admitted he was not sure how many people had taken notice of an order to evacuate.
The coastal city of Rockport was particularly badly hit.
Roads were strewn with downed trees, and telephone poles and trailer park homes were ripped apart - Rockport's mayor said it had been hit "right on the nose" by hurricane-force winds.
Harvey, which brought 130mph winds when it first hit land as a hurricane on Friday, has now weakened to 45mph.
Rainfall varied across the region, Galveston so far getting around eight inches (20cm), Houston 11 inches (28cm) and Aransas 10 inches (25cm).
The rain is expected to last through to the middle of next week, according to the US National Weather Service.


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