Freak Weather in America

Storm Harvey: 'Catastrophic' flooding expected to worsen

"Catastrophic" flooding in the US state of Texas is only expected to worsen in coming days as waters rise following a storm of historic proportions.

A record 30in of rain (75cm) has already fallen on the city of Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, turning roads into rivers.  But forecasters say that number could nearly double later this week.

On Monday President Donald Trump also approved an emergency declaration for neighbouring Louisiana.  "They're saying it's the biggest. It's a historic amount of water, there's never been anything like it," he told reporters.  He paid tribute to rescue teams and the "spirit" of people in Texas, saying he was dealing with Congress on funding as he prepared to visit the state on Tuesday.  "It's going to be a very expensive situation," he said.

Harvey made landfall as a category-four hurricane late on Friday, bringing flooding described by officials as unprecedented. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.  Up to 2,000 people have been rescued in and around Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US, where about 6.6m people live in the metropolitan area. Helicopters have plucked victims from rooftops.

At least eight people are reported to have died, Texan officials say.  Among them are thought to be six members of the same family - four children and their grandparents - who reportedly drowned when their van was swept away by floodwaters, local station KHOU says.

Source: BBC News