HOUSTON (Reuters) - Houston could receive as much as two to three inches (five to seven and a half centimeters) of rain per hour in the upcoming hours due to Tropical Storm Harvey, Mayor Sylvester Turner said on Saturday.

"We got a break for several hours during the day (but) several rainbands will be coming through tonight. Please be alert," Turner said on his Tweeter account. </s> Fifty inches of rain would exceed any previous Texas rainfall record, the National Weather Service announced Sunday.

"The breadth and intensity of this rainfall are beyond anything experienced before," NWS Weather Prediction Center posted on Twitter. "Catastrophic flooding is now underway and expected to continue for days."

As of 2 p.m. Sunday, the August rainfall total for Houston was 25.5 inches of rain, making this August the wettest month on record, surpassing June 2001, according to the NWS Houston.

The NWS determined the average rainfall in Harris County Emergency Management Network has exceeded that of Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. The rainfall from TS Allison took 5 days, and this rainfall has exceeded this amount in half the time.

Hourly totals for rain are expected to be about 3 inches, with some areas getting up to 6 inches per hour.

The NWS forecast predicts showers and thunderstorms "likely" in the Houston area through Wednesday night. There is a 50 percent chance of storms and thunderstorms Thursday and Friday, and it drops to a 40 percent chance for Friday night and Saturday.

Get the latest 7-day forecast here: http://www.khou.com/weather </s> Tropical Storm Harvey continued to deluge southeast Texas with rain and surging floodwater Tuesday, breaking the record for the most extreme rainfall on the U.S. mainland.

Since Harvey made landfall Friday night as a hurricane, some areas of Houston have seen up to 50 inches of rain — more than they usually receive in a year.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Mont Belvieu industrial suburb east of Houston recorded 51.12 inches of water, breaking the highest previous record of 48 inches from 1978's tropical storm Amelia in Medina, Texas.

"It's the heaviest storm on record anywhere in the U.S. outside Hawaii," said John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist and professor at Texas A&M University. "And it's still raining."

With muddy brown water engulfing huge swaths of the nation's fourth-largest city and much of the Gulf Coast, at least 10 people are dead and thousands are in shelters.

Federal officials have estimated as many as 30,000 displaced residents may seek temporary shelter and more than 450,000 people likely are to seek federal aid.

"In four days, we've seen a trillion gallons of water in Harris County — enough water to run Niagara Falls for 15 days," said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, who estimated as many as 100,000 homes in the 1,777-square-mile area had flooded. "It's beyond anything we've ever seen and will probably ever see."

As a light rain continued to drizzle, a reservoir west of downtown Houston spilled over for the first time in its history, leaving yet more residents desperately scrambling to safety.

In a Tuesday morning press briefing, Police Chief Art Acevedo said officers had rescued 3,500 people across the city and were launching more boats in the water every hour. They also arrested a crew of armed robbers who were hijacking vehicles.

"We're still trying to get to folks," Acevedo said. "Don't give up on us. Seek the higher ground. We will get to you."

Overnight, the number of people sheltering at the George R. Brown convention center swelled to 9,000 people. Its capacity is supposed to be 5,000. Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for cots and food for an additional 10,000 people, and officials are planning to open other mega shelters.

"We are not turning anyone away," Turner said.

Houston highways remained mostly empty and blocked by police early Tuesday. A few cars and trucks navigated wet streets downtown.

Families still were arriving at the massive convention center, some with sleeping pads and rain boots, others with their belongings in garbage bags. Some feared for relatives left behind, and others worried they might soon face shortages of food and other supplies.

By Tuesday, the death toll had risen to at least 10 after a man in Montgomery County, north of Houston, drowned Monday night while trying to swim across a flooded road.

Officials in Harris County, which includes Houston, have reported at least six "potentially storm-related" fatalities. A 60-year-old woman died Monday in Porter, a small community north of Houston, when a large oak tree fell on her mobile home. Another person died in the small coastal town of Rockport, near where Harvey made landfall. A 52-year-old homeless man was found dead in La Marque, a small city near Galveston.

Early Tuesday, a major dam outside Houston began to overflow, threatening some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods to the west of the city. Engineers had tried to prevent Addicks Reservoir from overspilling by releasing some of its water Monday, but flood control officials reported Tuesday morning that water was beginning to seep over the top of a spillway, the first time water had breached the dam.

In some areas, the water in the Houston area was so deep that rain sensors no longer were working. The Harris County Flood Control District, a government agency that works to reduce the effects of flooding in the area that includes Houston, announced multiple water level and rain sensors were out of service due to flooding.

In Brazoria County, south of Houston, the Brazos River was beginning to overflow its banks. On Tuesday morning, a levee breached in the Columbia Lakes neighborhood.

"We are asking residents to please get out," said Sharon Trower, a spokeswoman for the county, which already has rescued hundreds of residents after severe flooding from heavy rainfall. "The additional river flooding is just going to be catastrophic."

Major roads throughout the county already were closed because of flooding.

While catastrophic flooding continues across southeast Texas, flash flood watches dropped for western portions of the Houston area as light to moderate rain fell Monday night. The National Weather Service said the threat of flooding is gradually shifting east.

"Expect improving conditions this afternoon and evening across the area as Harvey pushes northeast," the National Weather Service's Houston/Galveston office said in an update.

After assuring Texas on Monday that Congress would deliver swift federal aid, President Donald Trump visited the storm-ravaged state Tuesday.

As Harvey moved closer to neighboring Louisiana on the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged residents to stay home and shelter in place.

A few inches of rain could cause serious problems in New Orleans, which still is recovering from flooding after thunderstorms this month overwhelmed the city's drainage system.

More than 5 inches of rain fell in some parts of the city Monday, causing localized floods. Flash flood watches were in effect as meteorologists forecast 4 more inches of rain Tuesday.

"Today, we are a resilient city with greater resolve, but we remain vigilant in the face of another threatening storm," Landrieu said in a statement. "While this is a somber day for New Orleanians, the determination and spirit of our people gives us great hope for the future." </s> People walk down a flooded street as they evacuate their homes after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Joe Raedle/Getty As its murky waters continue to flood homes and overwhelm barriers, Tropical Storm Harvey has already set a major record: the most rainfall ever from a single storm in the continental United States.

In less than a week, Harvey's rainfall total reached 49.32 inches in Friendsworth, Texas, southeast of Houston. That's about as much rain as the metropolitan region normally sees in a year. As of Tuesday evening, Cedar Bayou, Texas (east of Houston) recorded 51.88 inches, the Associated Press reported.

The record rainfall has caused the Houston metro area's 2017 total to soar — likely above 80 inches, and climbing. Here's how that compares to past years:

How the rains got so bad

In the 56 hours before Harvey made landfall, it transitioned from a tropical depression to a major hurricane. Its move across a pocket of warm water in the Gulf launched it into a Category 4 storm.

People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Scott Olson/Getty Images Between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, a string of storms east of the center of the hurricane remained over Houston, bringing repeated bursts of rain — up to six inches in some areas.

Those storms continued to pour down precipitation through Tuesday evening. The city of Beaumont, for example, received just over an inch of rain in just 26 minutes early Tuesday morning, The Weather Channel reported.

Unlike earlier tropical storms, which have generally dissipated or moved, Harvey has been wedged in place by two high-pressure areas which essentially act as buffers.

"Even compared to other tropical cyclones, the rain from Harvey has been very hard, and gone for a very long time," Russ Schumacher, an associate professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, wrote in a post for The Conversation.

Experts think the storm should head northeast later in the week, however, as one of those high pressure systems finally gives way. Still, it's not over yet. Meteorologists expect to see several more days of heavy rain, mostly in regions that are already inundated. </s> Houston usually gets about 50 inches of rain a year. It might get that — or more — this week. </s> The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston on Sunday as rising water led thousands of people to seek higher ground and overwhelmed rescuers.

Helicopters, boats and high-water vehicles swarmed around inundated areas, pulling people from their homes or from the turbid water, which was high enough in some places to gush into second floors.

The flooding was so widespread that authorities had trouble pinpointing the worst areas.

They urged people to get on top of their homes to avoid becoming trapped in attics and to wave sheets or towels to draw attention to their location.

As the water rose, the National Weather Service offered another ominous forecast:

Before the storm passes, some parts of Houston and its suburbs could receive as much as 50 inches of rain. That would be the highest amount ever recorded in Texas.

Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carries Connie Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home surrounded in Houston today.

"The breadth and intensity of this rainfall is beyond anything experienced before," the National Weather Service said in a statement.

Average rainfall totals will end up around 40 inches for Houston, weather service meteorologist Patrick Burke said.

The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brock Long, said the government expected to conduct a "mass care mission" and predicted that the aftermath of the storm would require Fema's involvement for years.

"This disaster's going to be a landmark event," Mr Long said.

Rescuers had to give top priority to life-and-death situations, leaving many displaced families to fend for themselves. The city's main convention centre was quickly opened as a shelter.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez used Twitter to field calls for assistance. Among those seeking help was a woman who posted: "I have 2 children with me and the water is swallowing us up."

Some people used inflatable beach toys, rubber rafts and even air mattresses to get through the water to safety.

Others waded while carrying rubbish bags stuffed with their belongings and small animals in pet carriers.

Wilford Martinez, right, is rescued from his flooded car by Harris County Sheriff's Department Richard Wagner along Interstate 610 in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey today.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said authorities had received more than 2,000 calls for help, with more coming in.

He urged drivers to stay off flooded roads to avoid adding to the number of those stranded.

"I don't need to tell anyone this is a very, very serious and unprecedented storm," Mr Turner told a news conference.

"We have several hundred structural flooding reports. We expect that number to rise pretty dramatically."

The mayor defended his decision not to ask residents to evacuate before the heavy rain from Harvey swamped roads and neighbourhoods.

He said there was no way to know which areas were most vulnerable.

"If you think the situation right now is bad, and you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare," he said, citing the risks of sending the city's 2.3 million inhabitants onto the highways at the same time.

Rainfall of more than four inches per hour resulted in water levels higher than in any recent floods and higher than during Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001, said Jeff Linder of flood control district in Harris County, which includes Houston.

Evacuees wade down a flooded section of Interstate 610 as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise.

The Coast Guard, which received more than 300 requests for help, deployed five helicopters and asked for additional aircraft from New Orleans.

Staff at a Houston television station broadcasting live coverage of the floods had to evacuate after water started to gush into the building.

The anchors and news operations at KHOU moved first to a second floor before finally abandoning the station.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday morning that he would visit Texas "as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption. The focus must be life and safety".

Police said a sinkhole has opened on a Texas road about 25 miles (40 kilometres) south west of Houston as Harvey dumps more rain on the region.

Rosenberg police tweeted a photo of the gaping hole that spread across more than half of a two-lane road - Farm-to-Market 762.

Water could be seen filling the sinkhole as pieces of road hung from the edge of the damaged roadway. </s> HOUSTON — Residents of Houston, Texas, woke Sunday to flooded streets and homes, submerged cars and news of high water rescues after Harveydumped between 15 and 30 inches of rain on the city overnight.

One man woke up in a flooded hotel room while a woman tried to laugh off the shock of having her home inundated with water. One resident was told to not call 911 and said the situation was “devastating.”

Here’s what it’s like in Houston right now.

“I just woke up an hour ago and stepped out of the bed into ankle-deep water,” said Jake Lewis, who was visiting Houston for work and found himself stranded in a hotel Sunday morning.

“I’m not going to go out there and get in a bind,” he told CNN. “It’s been madness around here. The water keeps rising.”

Forecasts predict the rain will continue through at least Wednesday as Harvey lingers over southeast Texas, raising the threat of devastating flooding.

FEMA administrator: We’re ‘going to be there for years’

Ify Echetebu took to Instagram to post photos of her aunt’s house in Dickinson, Texas, southeast of Houston.

“The severity of the situation just hit me,” she wrote. “I’m overcome with grief due to how helpless I feel in all of this. This is truly devastating.”

The water had risen to her waist, she said.

“National Guard is only responding to emergencies and 911 said do not call them.”

Darakniqueca La’Shay Burns took to Facebook Live to show how she and her family were stranded inside their flooded home.

Their belongings are piled high on furniture and countertops as the water rises, filled with floating debris.

Burns and her family said they’re trying to keep a positive attitude.

“I’m trying to laugh to keep from crying,” she said. “I don’t even know if we can get out the door it’s so high. We laughing and playing, but for real, it’s getting too high and I’m getting scared.”

The family was able to escape the home and wade through the water to safety, Burns said. She told CNN that she and her child had nowhere to go, but she was grateful they were able to get out.

This is what South Texas looks like after Harvey hit

Rey Güatzin told CNN the water in his home was rising throughout the night.

“We have about five inches of rain inside the house, and we live at the highest point of the street,” the 28-year-old said. “However, outside it’s about two to three feet of rain, perhaps more as rain is continuing throughout the day.”

“It’s scary,” Güatzin said. “I’ve been through many storms in my city, but it has never been this terrible. The city is completely under water.”

Janet Castillo and her family found themselves walking through knee-deep water Sunday morning. Her husband Luis posted a video to Facebook of the water collecting in their home.

“Send some boats over here,” he can be heard saying in the video.

“We are still stranded in our home with little kids, and the water keeps rising,” Janet Castillo told CNN. “We have called already to several numbers, but no luck.”

The lines were all busy and phone operators didn’t answer, she said. </s> Tropical Storm Barry forms in Gulf, could become hurricane

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tropical Storm Barry formed off the coast of Louisiana on Thursday and threatened to blow ashore as a hurricane with relatively weak winds but torrential rains that could test the flood-control improvements made in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina 14 years ago.

Forecasters said the first hurricane of the Atlantic season could hit the state's swampy southern tip Friday night or early Saturday, with potentially ruinous downpours that could go on for hours as the storm passes through the metropolitan area of nearly 1.3 million people and pushes inland.

Plaquemines Parish, at Louisiana's low-lying southeastern tip, ordered the mandatory evacuation of as many as 10,000 people, and communities began handing out sandbags. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared an emergency and said National Guard troops and high-water vehicles will be positioned all over the state.

"The entire coast of Louisiana is at play in this storm," he warned.

On Wednesday, with the gathering storm still out over the Gulf of Mexico, it dumped as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) on metro New Orleans in just three hours. The deluge triggered flash flooding in the city's streets and raised fears about the even heavier rains on the way.

The National Hurricane Center said as much as 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain could fall in parts of eastern Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, and the entire region could get as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters). The New Orleans area could get 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) through Sunday, forecasters said.

The storm's surge also could prevent water from emptying out of the already-swollen Mississippi River, possibly sending water over levees near New Orleans, forecasters said. The river has been running high for months.

Barry could have winds of about 75 mph (120 kph), just over the 74 mph threshold for a hurricane, when it comes ashore, making it a Category 1 storm, forecasters said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott said the big concern is water, not wind: "Rainfall and flooding is going to be the No. 1 threat with this storm."

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the pumping system that drains the city's streets is working as designed but that the slow-moving storm could dump water faster than the pumps can move it.

"We cannot pump our way out of the water levels ... that are expected to hit the city of New Orleans," she warned.

However, the city did not plan to order evacuations because the storm was so close and because it was not expected to grow into a major hurricane. Officials instead advised people to keep at least three days of supplies on hand and to keep their neighborhood storm drains clear so water can move quickly.

Katrina caused catastrophic flooding in New Orleans in 2005 and was blamed altogether for more than 1,800 deaths in Louisiana and other states.

In its aftermath, the Army Corps of Engineers began a multibillion-dollar hurricane-protection system that isn't yet complete. The work included repairs and improvements to some 350 miles (563.24 kilometers) of levees and more than 70 pump stations that are used to remove floodwaters.

The weather service said it expects the Mississippi to rise to 19 feet (5.8 meters) by Saturday morning at a key gauge in the New Orleans area, which is protected by levees 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.6 meters) high.

"We're confident the levees themselves are in good shape. The big focus is height," Corps spokesman Ricky Boyett said.

In Plaquemines Parish, Justice of the Peace David McGaha waited with his mother, his wife and their 15-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter for a ferry so they could evacuate to his mother's house in Alabama.

"If the river wasn't so high, we'd probably stay. You have to worry about the water that'll be pushing against those levees," he said. "They made a lot of improvements to the levee, but they haven't completed all the projects."

Associated Press reporters Chevel Johnson and Janet McConnaughey contributed to this report from New Orleans. </s> MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Potential Tropical Cyclone #3 in the Gulf of Mexico will likely become Tropical Storm Cindy.

At 5 a.m., the center of the disturbance was about 305 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were 40 mph as it moved to the northwest at 8 mph.

On the forecast track, the disturbance is expected to be near the Louisiana coast late Wednesday or Wednesday night. Some slight strengthening is possible before the system reaches the coast.

A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect from Cameron, Louisiana to Intracoastal City.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for west of Cameron to High Island.

Residents along the U.S. Gulf Coast from the central Texas coast to the western Florida Panhandle are being urged to keep an eye on this storm.

Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the coast within the warning area by this afternoon. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area on Wednesday.

The disturbance is expected to produce up to 8 inches of rain, with isolated maximum amounts of

 10 inches, over southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday morning. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches can be expected farther west across southwest Louisiana into southeast Texas through Thursday morning.

A tornado or two is possible this afternoon and tonight from south-central Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle.
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Downtown Houston has collected about 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) of rain with 7 inches (18 cm) recorded in some areas. Nearly 9 inches (23 cm) was tallied in First Colony early this morning. The National Hurricane Center predicts up to 30 inches (76 cm) of rain and isolated totals as high as 40 inches (100 cm) by the time the storm leaves.