Rescuers are scrambling to reach Houston residents trapped in rising floodwaters as tragic reports emerge from the stricken city of 6.6-million people.
Authorities have rescued at least 2000 residents so far, according to the city’s Police Chief Art Acevedo.
At least 185 critical rescue requests were still pending on Tuesday night, with a goal is to rescue those people by the end of the day, Mr. Acevedo said.
He said rescuers were giving priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many affected families to fend for themselves.
Water, meanwhile, has been released from Houston-area reservoirs as authorities attempt to release pressure on two dams that are at risk of failing from the immense floodwaters filling the city.
The move aimed at protecting the downtown business district risked flooding thousands of more homes, and the fourth-largest US city expected more rain after a chaotic weekend of rising water and rescues.
Some people used inflatable beach toys, rubber rafts, and even air mattresses to get through the water to safety. Others waded while carrying trash bags stuffed with their belongings and small animals in picnic coolers.
Officials say 30,000 people are expected to be housed in emergency shelters as the flooding is expected to worsen in the coming days.
Tropical storm Harvey, which made landfall on Friday as a Category 4 hurricane and then lingered just off the coast as a drenching tropical storm, sent devastating floods pouring into Houston on Sunday.
The rising water forced a mass evacuation of parts of the city and overwhelmed rescuers who could not keep up with constant calls for help.
Residents living near the Addicks and Barker reservoirs – which were created to prevent flooding in downtown Houston – were warned on Sunday that a controlled release would cause additional street flooding that could spill into homes.
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