President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey damage from the first major natural disaster to test his leadership in a crisis, as record rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey lashed Houston and tens of thousands of people fled deluged homes.
The storm turning slowly in the Gulf of Mexico has brought catastrophic flooding to Texas, killing at least 12 people and paralyzing Houston, America’s fourth most populous city. Damage was expected to run well into the tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest U.S. natural disasters.
City officials were preparing to temporarily house some 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee the area as the flooding entered its fourth day and authorities found themselves running out of space in cramped shelters.
The mayor of Houston announced an indefinite 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew amid reports of looting, armed robberies and people impersonating police officers.
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Nearly a third of Harris County was under water, an area 15 times the size of Manhattan, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper.
Harvey has affected nearly a fifth of U.S. refining capacity, triggering worries about lack of gasoline and sending gasoline futures to a two-year high this week. Nearly 20 percent of refining capacity is offline in Texas and Louisiana, according to company reports and Reuters estimates.
Although Houston residents saw patchy sunlight for the first time in days late on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters warned that 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain was on its way and would continue through Thursday, badly straining the dams and drainage systems that protect the low-lying U.S. energy hub.
Meanwhile water levels continued to rise. Harris County officials warned residents to evacuate as they released water from overflowing reservoirs to alleviate pressure on two dams, a move that would add to flooding along the Buffalo Bayou waterway that runs through the area.
Residents within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of a chemical plant in Crosby were also ordered to evacuate due to the rising risk of an explosion and subsequent leak.
