The floodwaters are beginning to recede, and Houstonians are preparing for a long road to recovery.
The Hurricane Harvey death toll was 39 as of Thursday evening, after Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences spokeswoman Tricia Bentley told ABC News her office had confirmed seven more storm-related deaths.
Gov. Greg Abbott will be briefed this afternoon on the latest Harvey news at the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Operations Center and will hold a press conference shortly afterward.
Here’s where things stand:
Overnight havoc
- Late Thursday night, Abbott said he was easing restrictions on truckers bringing fuel and other supplies into the state. His announcement comes hours after scattered reports that Texas was experiencing a fuel shortage — a myth debunked by Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton and other state leaders. They cautioned against Texans rushing to fill up their tanks, saying the unnecessary rush was creating a problem. “As Texas begins the recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, it is important that Texans have access to much needed resources, including gasoline and fuel,” Abbott said in a statement.
-
The city of Beaumont — which is home to roughly 120,000 people in Southeast Texas — is continuing to suffer after the city lost its water supply. The Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas started transferring patients to other acute care facilities Thursday morning.
A city looking to rebuild
-
On Friday morning, Abbott announced that the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the OneStar Foundation will partner to form a relief fund for Harvey victims. The Dell Foundation will be contributing $36 million to the fund, Abbott wrote in a news release. In a tweet, Abbott said he wanted to raise more than $100 million over Labor Day weekend. “A storm the size of Texas deserves a Texas-sized response,” he wrote.
-
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt set up a flood relief fund earlier this week, backing the effort with his own $100,000 donation. On Friday, the amount donated surpassed $13.5 million and Watt increased the donation goal to $15 million.
Looking forward
-
Friendswood ISD will resume normal operations after the Labor Day weekend. Students will return to school on Sept. 6.
-
Dickinson ISD students will return to school Sept. 11.
-
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will appear Sunday on “Face the Nation” and “Meet the Press,” POLITICO reported. Abbott will appear on “Fox News Sunday.”
Source: Texas Tribune Blue News
