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Hurricane Harvey: ‘Devastated’ Texas struggles amid more rain warnings (Second Lead)
Washington, Aug 28 (IANS) The authorities across the US state of Texas continued on Monday to rescue people stranded by devastating, historic flooding left in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, even as forecasters warned of looming rain, rising rivers and floodwaters that would still swallow more streets and neighbourhoods.
Officials warned that the danger was far from over, saying that flooding in Texas was unlikely to recede quickly and that the storm will force more than 30,000 people from their homes, the Washington Post reported.
A record 30 inches of rainfall already fell on Houston, the country’s fourth-largest city and a sprawling metropolitan area, turning roads into rivers. Although five people were reported dead and dozens injured in the hurricane, the full toll of Harvey’s destruction remained unclear, said the report.
The city faced dire circumstances and the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast more heavy rainfall. Up to 2,000 people had been rescued on Sunday in and around the city.
President Donald Trump on Monday approved an emergency declaration for neighbouring Louisiana, where forecasts called for as much as two feet of rainfall in some areas.
The NWS said conditions are “unprecedented”. A “flash flood emergency” was in force across the Houston area, with travel near impossible. More than 82,000 homes were without electricity in the Houston area by Sunday night as airports shuttered and hospitals planned evacuations.
The authorities ordered more than 50,000 people to leave parts of Fort Bend County, about 35 miles southwest of Houston, as the Brazos River was set to crest at a record high of 59 feet this week, 14 feet above its flood stage, CNN reported.
Also, the US military released water from two major reservoirs earlier than planned to protect central Houston, a move that could itself flood several thousands homes. Residents nearby were told to evacuate in case of danger.
Authorities had fielded scores of calls for help throughout the night from people stranded by water. Police in Houston dispatched officers on boats that were sent through streets where the floodwater reached the pumps at gas stations.
Families scrambled to get out of their fast-flooding homes in and around the city. Rescuers in fishing boats, huge dump trucks and even front-end loaders battled driving rains to move people to shelter.
Thousands of rescue missions were launched across Texas, and Governor Greg Abbott said that more than 3,000 national and state guard troops had been deployed to assist with relief efforts.
An additional 1,000 National Guard members were expected be sent to Houston on Monday, Abbott said.
The White House said Trump plans to visit parts of the state on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj posted a tweet saying 200 Indian students were “marooned” in floods. She also said two Indian students were in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital.
Harvey made landfall as a category-four hurricane late on Friday. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.
The damage bill of Hurricane Harvey is already drawing comparisons to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused $108 billion of losses (including $80 billion of insured losses).
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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