Tropical Storm Harvey bore down on Louisiana on Wednesday, pouring down more water after setting rainfall records in Texas that caused catastrophic flooding and paralyzed the U.S. energy hub of Houston.

The storm that first came ashore on Friday as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years has killed at least 17 people and forced tens of thousands to leave their deluged homes.

Damage has been estimated at tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest U.S. natural disasters.

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Opinion: Why the U.S. wasn't prepared for Hurricane Harvey

There is some relief in sight for Houston, the fourth most populous U.S. city, with forecasters saying five days of torrential rain may come to an end as the storm picks up speed and leaves the Gulf of Mexico region later in the day.

Harvey made landfall early Wednesday and was about 32 miles (52 km) south of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was expected to bring an additional 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15.24 cms) of rain to an area about 80 miles east of Houston as well as southwestern Louisiana, where some areas have already seen more than 18 inches of rain.

Several hundred people had already been rescued from their homes in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where floodwaters were knee-deep in places, Mayor Nic Hunter told CNN.

"We are a very resilient people down here. We will survive. We will take care of each other down here in Texas and Louisiana," Hunter said. "But we do need some help from the federal government, these homeowners and these people who have been displaced. That's going to be our biggest need."

Harvey is projected to weaken as it moves inland to the northeast, the National Hurricane Center said.

"We aren't going to be dealing with it for too much longer. It's going to pick up the pace and get out of here," said Donald Jones, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Lake Charles.

But nearly a third of Harris County, home to Houston, was under water, an area 15 times the size of Manhattan, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper. It may take days for all flood waters, which have spilled over dams and pushed levees to their limits, to recede, local officials said.

City officials were preparing to temporarily house some 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee. As of Wednesday morning, state officials said close to 49,000 homes had suffered flood damage, with more than 1,000 destroyed.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner imposed a curfew from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. amid reports of looting, armed robberies and people impersonating police officers.

U.S. President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey damage from the first major natural disaster to test his crisis leadership. The president said he was pleased with the response, but too soon for a victory lap.

"We won't say congratulations," he said. "We don't want to do that ... We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished."

Moody's Analytics is estimating the economic cost from Harvey for southeast Texas at $51 billion to $75 billion.

The storm has affected nearly one-fifth of U.S. refining capacity, sparking concerns about gasoline supply. The national average gasoline price rose to $2.404 a gallon, up six cents from a week ago, with higher spikes in Texas.

The unprecedented flooding has left scores of neighborhoods in chest-deep water and badly strained the dams and drainage systems that protect the low-lying Houston metropolitan area whose economy is about as large as Argentina's.

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches and warnings that stretch from the Houston area into Tennessee.

Harvey has drawn comparisons with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans 12 years ago, killing more than 1,800 people and causing an estimated $108 billion in damage.

Among the confirmed fatalities was Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the force who drowned while attempting to drive to work on Sunday.

In Beaumont, northeast of Houston, a woman clutching her baby daughter was swept away in raging flooding. The baby was saved but the mother died, Beaumont police said.

Ruben Jordan, a retired high school football coach died when he was helping rescue people trapped in high water, the Clear Creek Independent School District said.

In all, 17 people have perished, according to government officials and the Houston Chronicle. Four volunteer rescuers also went missing after their boat was swept in a fast-moving current, local media reported.

U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and boats have rescued more than 4,000 people. Thousands of others have been taken to safety by police, rescue workers and citizen volunteers who brought their boats to help, local officials said.

The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday afternoon said a record 51.88 inches (131.78 cm) of rain had fallen in Texas due to Harvey, a record for any storm in the continental United States.

This breaks the previous record of 48 inches set during tropical storm Amelia in 1978 in Medina, Texas, the NHC said. Medina is west of San Antonio. The island of Kauai was hit with 52 inches of rain from tropical cyclone Hiki in 1950, before Hawaii became a U.S. state. </s> Harvey made landfall for the third time Wednesday morning, drenching the Texas and Louisiana region with rain that could lead to “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.”

The tropical storm made landfall around 5 a.m. just west of Cameron, Louisiana.

The rainfall that caused a deluge in Texas has ended for the most part in Houston and is moving east, threatening to dump an additional 3-6 inches from southwestern Louisiana into western Kentucky, the National Hurricane Center said.

Before Harvey made landfall around 5 a.m. ET, two people were killed when a tree fell onto a truck in Jackson County, Texas, an area that was “particularly hard hit” by the storm, officials said.

Louisiana has beefed up its emergency resources, doubling up on high water vehicles, boats and helicopters on duty.

Harvey is expected to bring winds of 30-40 mph and a 2-4 foot storm surge along the Louisiana-Texas border.

“We are dealing with a state that has already had a lot of rain this summer, so we are very aware and conscious of the potential for flooding,” said Col. Ed Bush, a public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard.

Southeastern Texas, including the saturated Houston area, is dealing with the aftermath of the catastrophic storm that has already claimed 11 victims.

Houston Police sergeant on his way to work and a Beaumont mother who was swept by water were confirmed dead on Tuesday.

First responders are loading boat after boat with evacuees, looking for an undetermined number of people who are missing, including six family members whose vehicle was swept away in the floods, and getting ready to face what is hidden under water.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a midnight to 5 a.m. curfew until further notice. He tweeted the move is meant to prevent property crimes at evacuated homes.

Five days have passed since Harvey made landfall in Texas and an uncounted number of people are still trapped waiting for aid.

From her home in a northeast Houston suburb, Anike Allen has seen many of her neighbors being airlifted as she slowly runs out of food. While her home is not completely flooded, she’s not sure if there’s a way out of her neighborhood.

“The water is receding here, but we are not sure if it’s going to come back,” Allen said.

For the first time since Harvey rammed Houston over the weekend, authorities say the floodwaters that turned the city into rivers, are slowly receding in some areas.

“We are starting to see a glimmer of hope in what has happened,” Harris County Flood Control Meteorologist Jeff Linder said in a news conference Tuesday evening. “Things are going to get better.”

There’s hope, Linder said, but it will be days, even weeks before the massive volume of water — which is the most rain ever recorded in the contiguous United States from a tropical storm that made landfall — is completely gone.

‘We help each other out’

Volunteers have come the Houston region to lend a hand and their boats.

Tom Dickers is just one of many people who came hauling their boats from Dallas and San Antonio to evacuate people ever since Harvey began pounding the city with rain.

“This is what Texans would do. We help each other out,” Dickers said.

At least 9,000 to 10,000 people have been rescued in the Houston region by first responders. Volunteers said they have helped as many as 400 in one day.

Some would just “come crying, just wanting help,” said volunteer Bobba Bedri. “I just felt like I had to get more people out, keep going and keep going.” </s> Harvey made a second landfall near the Louisiana–Texas border on Wednesday, drenching the region with rain that could lead to “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.”

The rainfall that caused a deluge in Texas has ended for the most part in Houston and is moving east, threatening to dump an additional 3-6 inches from southwestern Louisiana into western Kentucky, the National Hurricane Center said.

Before Harvey made landfall around 5 a.m., two people were killed when a tree fell onto a truck in Jackson County, Texas, an area that was “particularly hard hit” by the storm, officials said.

Louisiana has beefed up its emergency resources, doubling up on high water vehicles, boats and helicopters on duty.

Harvey is expected to bring winds of 30-40 mph and a 2-4 foot storm surge along the Louisiana-Texas border.

“We are dealing with a state that has already had a lot of rain this summer, so we are very aware and conscious of the potential for flooding,” said Col. Ed Bush, a public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard.

Southeastern Texas, including the saturated Houston area, is dealing with the aftermath of the catastrophic storm that has already claimed 11 victims.

Houston Police sergeant on his way to work and a Beaumont mother who was swept by water were confirmed dead on Tuesday.

First responders are loading boat after boat with evacuees, looking for an undetermined number of people who are missing, including six family members whose vehicle was swept away in the floods, and getting ready to face what is hidden under water.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a midnight to 5 a.m. curfew until further notice. He tweeted the move is meant to prevent property crimes at evacuated homes.

A glimmer of hope

 Five days have passed since Harvey made landfall in Texas and an uncounted number of people are still trapped waiting for aid.

From her home in a northeast Houston suburb, Anike Allen has seen many of her neighbors being airlifted as she slowly runs out of food. While her home is not completely flooded, she’s not sure if there’s a way out of her neighborhood.

“The water is receding here, but we are not sure if it’s going to come back,” Allen said.

For the first time since Harvey rammed Houston over the weekend, authorities say the floodwaters that turned the city into rivers, are slowly receding in some areas.

“We are starting to see a glimmer of hope in what has happened,” Harris County Flood Control Meteorologist Jeff Linder said in a news conference Tuesday evening. “Things are going to get better.”

There’s hope, Linder said, but it will be days, even weeks before the massive volume of water — which is the most rain ever recorded in the contiguous United States from a tropical storm that made landfall — is completely gone.

Stuck in the flood? Here’s what to do

‘We help each other out’

 Volunteers have come the Houston region to lend a hand and their boats.

Tom Dickers is just one of many people who came hauling their boats from Dallas and San Antonio to evacuate people ever since Harvey began pounding the city with rain.

“This is what Texans would do. We help each other out,” Dickers said.

At least 9,000 to 10,000 people have been rescued in the Houston region by first responders. Volunteers said they have helped as many as 400 in one day.

Some would just “come crying, just wanting help,” said volunteer Bobba Bedri. “I just felt like I had to get more people out, keep going and keep going.” </s> MEXICO CITY (AP) – The remnants of former Tropical Storm Harvey moved into the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday night, and forecasters warned it could reorganize as a tropical system and threaten Texas late this week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the low pressure system was clearing Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and probably would become a tropical depression or even a tropical storm Wednesday or Thursday.

The center said the system could reach the northwestern Gulf by Friday and there was a threat of prolonged heavy rain and flooding for portions of the coast from northeastern Mexico to southern Louisiana into the coming week. Texas could also see storm surge and tropical storm- or hurricane-force winds, the advisory said.

To the west, once-mighty Hurricane Kenneth weakened rapidly far out in the Pacific and was downgraded to a tropical storm. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) Tuesday night, down from its top force of 130 mph (210 kph) as a Category 4 hurricane Monday.

It was centered about 1,535 miles (2,465 kilometers) west of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. </s> The storm — first spotted Aug. 17 as a "potential tropical cyclone" swirling in the Atlantic — exploded into a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Texas, gaining the title the "worst disaster Texas has ever seen," Long said.

Harvey is the first major hurricane to inundate Texas since 2005, bringing historic flooding. Rivers are rising, forcing people to seek refuge in attics and rooftops while they wait for rescue boats in the flooded roadways. Houston officials Monday morning released more water from reservoirs overwhelmed by Harvey in an attempt to protect the city from the devastating floods. The impacts of Harvey are still unfolding, and the death toll rising, as the torrential rains continue, totaling 15 to 25 inches through Friday, with up to 50 inches possible in some areas.

So, what lead to all this destruction? Let's follow Harvey from the beginning.

The National Hurricane Center first kept its eye on the storm as it traversed the Atlantic Ocean, tracking toward the Caribbean Sea. First, tropical storm warnings were issued for Martinique, Barbados, St. Vincent, the Grenadines and St. Lucia. The storm center pushed west, with maximum gusts reaching 46 mph, as the Hurricane Center expected the low-pressure area to strengthen to a tropical cyclone later in the evening. The NHC forecasted rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches across portions of the Windward Islands from Martinique southward to Grenada, causing life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft reports indicated "slow strengthening" possible during the next 2 days.

Harvey continued to track west across the Caribbean Sea, threatening adjacent land areas of eastern Central America and northern South America. Later that evening, Harvey weakened to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds reaching 35 mph, and was expected to turn west-northwestward over the next few hours. At this point, Harvey was predicted to slowly strengthen, but it was believed it would only reach, and maintain, its tropical storm status. Later that evening, Harvey degenerated further into remnants.

Public advisories on the remnants of Harvey by the NHC ended as Harvey dissipated. But by Wednesday morning, the storm re-strengthened into a tropical depression, with hurricane and storm surge watches issued for portions of the Texas coast as Harvey neared. At this point, the Hurricane Center believed Harvey was heading for the coast by Friday, simultaneously as it grew into a hurricane.

Forecasted rainfall was believed to reach 10 to 15 inches with isolated maximums of 20 inches over the middle and upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana through Tuesday, with the heavy rainfall expected to begin Friday morning. The National Hurricane Center noted "rainfall from Harvey could cause life-threatening flooding." The storm surge, the deadliest effect of hurricanes, was forecasted to reach 4 to 6 feet across Port Mansfield to High Island "if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide." The NHC predicted the deepest water along the immediate coast and to the northeast of the landfall location, where the surge would be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Later that day, Harvey became nearly stationary for hours, dumping more rain than expected.

Harvey took a northwestward turn as it strengthened slightly due to the warm Gulf waters, acting as fuel. The first hurricane warning for the United States was issued for Port Mansfield to Matagorda along the Texas coast, with a tropical storm warning for north of Matagorda to High Island. Rainfall forecasts continued to ramp up, with the NHC predicting amounts over 25 inches in isolated areas on the Texas coast through Wednesday.

Later that day, the headlines started predicting disaster, as Harvey strengthened quickly and was now projected to make landfall as a major hurricane, inducing life-threatening storm surge and freshwater flooding. It didn't take long for rainfall predictions to rise again, jumping to over 30 inches forecasted for isolated regions in the middle and upper Texas coast through Wednesday. Storm surge estimates continued to rise as well, with up to 10 feet of surge expected in some areas.

By the afternoon, Harvey reached hurricane status, as the NHC warned "preparations along the middle Texas coast should be rushed to completion." Life-threatening and devastating flooding was soon to come with Harvey's rainfall and storm surge.

Overnight Thursday into Friday, Harvey strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane with winds topping 105 mph. At this point, the NHC was predicting Harvey to make landfall on the middle Texas coast that evening or early Saturday as a major hurricane, when the storm would likely meander near the middle Texas coast through the weekend. Rainfall estimates continued to grow as predictions more clearly showed Harvey's slow movement. Harvey's outer rain band was just beginning to swipe the lower and middle Texas coasts that morning. By the 3 p.m. hurricane update, Harvey reached Category 3 status with winds over 120 mph, and rainfall estimates escalated to 40 inches in isolated areas across the middle and upper Texas coast.

Later that evening, Harvey intensified to a Category 4 hurricane and the eye approached the Texas coast between Port Arkansas and Port O'Connor. Harvey continued northwest, with an expected decrease in forward speed, conducive to further flooding. Winds now reached up to 130 mph, and storm surge estimates jumped to 9 to 13 feet from Port Arkansas and Port O'Connor, with lesser impacts in surrounding areas.

By that evening, the Category 4 hurricane made landfall.

As the rain continues another day, further impacts from Harvey begin to unfold. Over 20 inches is expected, with some localized amounts up to 50 inches possible.

Long is asking citizens to volunteer with FEMA to help recover from Harvey. The flooding has been so historic, some are comparing the devastation to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Harvey and Katrina share incredibly close dates, which comes to no surprise as we're in the midst of the Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1, peaks in September, ending Nov. 30.

The devastating impacts of both storms go hand-in-hand. The National Hurricane Center says structural damage to sturdy buildings is possible from Harvey, some with "complete roof and wall failures." Mobile homes will be destroyed, with damage greatly accentuated by large, airborne projectiles. Some locations may be "uninhabitable for weeks or months." Numerous trees will be snapped and uprooted, along with fences and highway signs blown over. Roads will become impassable, along with bridges and highways.

While the impacts are similar, landfall strengths were noticeably different. Harvey hit the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, while Katrina first made landfall in Florida as a Category 1, traveled over the state and re-strengthened once over warmer waters into a Category 2 with a second landfall in Louisiana.

While Harvey's winds were stronger at landfall than Katrina's, it's the slow speed that's unprecedented. "(This) is something I haven't seen in a long, long time," said Bill Read, former director of the National Hurricane Center, to CNN. "(Harvey may) stall and almost completely stop moving just after coming inland, and the incredible amount of rain we should get out of that is going to lead to record flooding." </s> HOUSTON (AP) - The Latest on Tropical Storm Harvey (all times local):

The National Hurricane Center says Harvey is back on land after coming ashore early Wednesday just west of Cameron, Louisiana. The tropical storm is expected to weaken and continue to the north.

The storm returned to land about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Cameron with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph).

Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said Tuesday that when Harvey came back to shore, "it's the end of the beginning."

Harvey is forecast to drop substantial amounts of rain on Louisiana before moving on to Arkansas, Tennessee and parts of Missouri, which could also see flooding.

Feltgen said there's still a lot of residents in multiple states "who are going to feel the impacts of the storm."

Harvey first made landfall Friday in Texas as a Category 4 hurricane.

The National Weather Service has issued flash flood emergencies for parts of Southeast Texas, including Beaumont and Port Arthur.

KFDM-TV reports the situation in Port Arthur is dire as homes were expected to fill with rising floodwaters and residents unsure of how to evacuate the city.

Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens tells the station that county resources cannot get to Port Arthur because of the flooding and some residents have gone into survival mode.

Mayor Derrick Freeman said on his Facebook page that the "city is underwater right now but we are coming!" He also urged residents to get to higher ground, but avoid becoming trapped in attics.

Deputy Marcus McLellan says city's 911 system has been inundated with calls, which are bouncing to other law enforcement agencies. McLellan says the sheriff's office is working to relay those calls to the proper authorities in Port Arthur.

After five days of torrential rain, the latest weather forecast predicts less than an inch of rain and perhaps even sunshine for the Houston area.

However, the dangers remain far from over. Authorities and family members have reported at least 18 deaths from Harvey, while law enforcement agencies say more than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and surrounding parts of Southeast Texas.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also implemented a curfew of midnight to 5 a.m. in an apparent response to scattered reports of looting. Police Chief Art Acevedo said violators would be searched and arrested.

Two additional shelters - the Toyota Center and NRG Park - opened to house displaced residents. Louisiana's governor also offered to take in Harvey victims from Texas, and televangelist Joel Osteen opened his Houston megachurch, a 16,000-seat former arena, after critics blasted him on social media for not acting to help families displaced by the storm.

Harvey is expected to come inland Wednesday near the Texas-Louisiana border.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft has found former tropical storm Harvey hasn't gained new strength in recent hours as it crawls across the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that Harvey could regain tropical storm status in coming hours and become a hurricane Friday as it threatens to bring heavy rains to parts of Texas and southwestern Louisiana later in the week.

Harvey was at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday about 460 miles (740 ) southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, while moving to the northwest at 2 mph (4 kph), the said. The storm has top sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph).

Forecasters warn that Harvey is expected to produce rainfall 10 to 15 inches (250-380 millimeters) and possibly up to 20 inches (500 millimeters) in isolated areas of middle and upper Texas and southwest Louisiana. It adds Harvey could cause life-threatening flooding and a dangerous storm surge along the coast.

A hurricane watch is in effect from Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass and a tropical storm watch is in effect from Boca de Catan in Mexico to Port Mansfield — as well as north of San Luis Pass to High Island, Texas.

Former Tropical Storm Harvey has restrengthened into a tropical depression forecast to dump heavy rains on the Gulf Coast and become a hurricane by the time it hits Texas on Friday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that Harvey is likely to intensify as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and deliver heavy rain to parts of eastern Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Rain accumulations of 10 to 15 inches are expected over the middle and upper Texas coast and southwest Louisiana through next Tuesday. The has announced a hurricane watch for the Texas coast from north of San Luis Pass to High Island, and warns of possibly dangerous flooding.

At 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Harvey was located 470 miles (755 kms) southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas. It was moving northwest at about 9 mph (15 kph) and had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). </s> The remnants of Tropical Storm Harvey gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, prompting tropical storm and hurricane watches for heavy rains, strong winds and flooding that could threaten the Gulf Coast over the next 48 hours, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center had said the storm could make landfall, affecting the cities of Corpus Christi, Tex., Houston and New Orleans, among others.

The center updated its advisories on Wednesday, saying hurricane conditions were possible by Friday for coastal areas from Port Mansfield, Tex., northeast to San Luis Pass, which is 25 miles southwest of Galveston, Tex.

Tropical storm and storm surge watches were in effect from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port Mansfield, and from San Luis Pass to 60 miles northeast to High Island, Tex., it said. A life-threatening storm surge was possible from rising water moving inland along the coastline, the center said.

The center said in a statement on Tuesday that a concern would be if the system stalled after making landfall. That could mean a prolonged period of heavy rainfall and flooding across portions of Texas, Southwestern Louisiana and northeastern Mexico stretching into early next week.

“The hurricane hunter plane is in the area now and trying to find whether there are tropical storm force winds, but it looks like it is getting its act together,” Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the center, said in an interview on Wednesday morning.

Also on Wednesday, the Mexican government issued a tropical storm watch from Boca De Catan to the mouth of the Rio Grande. </s> (CNN) The toll that Harvey is taking is staggering.

It dumped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of rain over Texas and Louisiana during a 6-day period, says Ryan Maue of WeatherBell, a weather analytics company.

The rainfall has set a record for the most ever from a landfalling tropical cyclone in the continental US. Estimates put eventual total losses at as much as $75 billion . And the death toll continues to climb everyday.

"The word catastrophic does not appropriately describe what we're facing," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents much of Houston. "We just don't know when it's going to end."
Tropical storm Harvey (hurricane earlier this month) makes its second landfall, this time in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The New York Times reports local officials say the death toll since last Friday is now 38. Moving northeast, Harvey is expected to gradually weaken to a tropical depression by tonight.