Hurricane Harvey slams into Texas coast, causing massive damage

27 August 2017: Harvey spun deeper into Texas and unloaded extraordinary amounts of rain Saturday after the once-fearsome hurricane crashed into vulnerable homes and businesses along the coastline in a blow that killed at least two people and injured up to 14.

Throughout the region between Corpus Christi and Houston, many people feared that toll was only the beginning. Authorities did not know the full scope of the damage because weather conditions prevented emergency crews from getting into the hardest-hit places. And they dreaded the destruction that was yet to come from a storm that could linger for days and unload more than 40 inches (100 centimeters) of rain on cities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest.

Some of the worst damage appeared to be in Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path. Before the storm hit, Rockport's mayor told anyone staying behind to write their names on their arms for identification in case of death or injury. The mayor said his community took a blow "right on the nose" that left "widespread devastation," including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency alert for the area around William P. Hobby Airport, and the airport said on Twitter that the arrivals section was flooded.

Oil and gas production was largely halted in the state, prompting price hikes at the pumps.

"There are a number of stranded people on our streets,calling 911, exhausting needed resources. You can help by staying off the streets," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said onTwitter.

Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday but was expected to lash Texas for days as it lumbers inland, according to the National Hurricane Center, which described the forecast for the state as potentially "catastrophic."