World
Hurricane Harvey makes landfall as Texas braces for ‘catastrophic’ rains (Lead)
Washington, Aug 26 (IANS) Hurricane Harvey, the biggest storm to hit the US mainland in 13 years, slammed into Texas spawning tornadoes, flooding, fires and widespread power outages across the state on Saturday.
The storm, which blasted ashore as a Category 4 around 11 p.m. on Friday between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, was a Category 1 by mid-morning Saturday, packing winds of 80 mph as it plodded northwest, reported Fox News.
Millions of coastal residents in south Texas experienced hurricane-force winds that downed trees, power poles and signs. More than 213,000 people were currently without power on the Texas Gulf Coast, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said.
Coastal cities remained in danger of a potentially deadly 13-feet storm surge, with places even far inland predicted to get 40 inches of rain through Wednesday. The city also cancelled two big concerts of British band Coldplay and singer Mary J. Blige.
A massive fire destroyed at least three homes on Texas’ Bolivar Peninsula late Friday night. Several residents are feared trapped in collapsed buildings, reports said.
According to forecasters, the impact of Hurricane Harvey, the strongest to hit the US since Hurricane Charley in August 2004, will be devastating and leave areas “uninhabitable for weeks or months”.
Harvey wielded the “highest potential to kill the most amount of people and cause the most amount of damage,” Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told CNN.
There were reports of structural and building problems in Rockport, Aransas Pass, and Port Aransas. Harvey made a double landfall: Northeast of the city of Corpus Christi initially, then just north of Rockport a few hours later.
Emergency services in Rockport said a school, a hotel, a housing complex for the elderly and other buildings suffered structural damage.
At least 10 people were injured when the roof of a senior housing centre in Rockport caved in late Friday. In Aransas Pass area, a part of the Harbour Master Building was seen flying away.
The Rockport Mayor advised residents who refused to evacuate to write their names and Social Security numbers on their forearms to “help out first responders should they find a body”.
Hospitals had evacuated patients ahead of the hurricane. President Donald Trump, who is likely to visit Texas early next week, signed a disaster declaration for the city and praised emergency services in a tweet.
“You are doing a great job – the world is watching! Be safe,” Trump tweeted.
Production on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico remained halted, coastal refineries remained idle and thousands of cruise ship customers waited offshore until their vessels were able to dock safely.
Governor Abbot said it was obvious Texas was confronting a “very major disaster”, and more than 1,000 National Guardsmen were to help with the disaster relief operation.
–IANS
soni/bg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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