A brief review of Harvey news as rain and rescue efforts continue in Houston:
• The National Hurricane Center warns that "unprecedented flooding" continues over Texas, and warns against travel in the region. Catastrophic rain and flooding in the area is expected to continue for several days, extending from the Houston area to portions of the Louisiana coast. Tornado warnings continue; storm totals may be as high as 50 inches in some areas. Harvey is now expected to remain at Tropical Storm strength through Wednesday.
• Ways you can help.
• Texas senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn urged Trump to grant Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's request for federal assistance to the disaster. Both voted against providing relief to East Coast victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2013.
• As officials scramble to find and deploy resources, reporters on the scene continue to assist in unexpected rescue efforts.
• Seniors trapped in rising flood waters in a widely spread photograph have been successfully rescued.
• Trump is being blasted for his dull and unempathetic response to the disaster; the New York Times is taking heat for a headline portraying him as being "anything but disengaged" despite his less-than-engaged string of tweets (that headline was later changed.)
• Mexico responded to a Sunday tweet from Trump insisting "Mexico will pay" for a border wall with a statement of U.S.-Mexico solidarity and an offer to assist in Harvey emergency efforts with "all the help and cooperation that can be provided." In 2005, Mexico dispatched troops and aid to help in relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina devastated portions of Louisiana.
• Telecommunications companies have been opposing upgrades to the nation's emergency alert systems that could assist victims in future natural disasters. Among the concerns: including maps, web links and other improvements in emergency alerts might result in heavier network usage during emergencies—and possibly drain users' batteries.
• The rapidly-expanding Houston has long had a flooding problem, with 16,000 buildings being inundated in the last two years alone. The region is no stranger to severe storms—but other reasons for the city's vulnerability are more complex.
• Playing into government reluctance in calling for a pre-storm evacuation of Houston, one of America's largest cities: A deadly evacuation before Hurricane Rita in 2005, in which dozens died after being stranded in their cars during the resulting multi-day traffic jam. The Houston population has expanded greatly over the last ten years; area highways have not.
• Dangers on the flooded streets may include chemical spills, hidden sinkholes and other hazards, and even floating rafts of fire ants.
