The Flooding in Houston Is Absolutely Devastating

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Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP

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Hurricane Harvey has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, but the devastation is only just beginning for southeast Texas. After the storm made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, emergency officials reported heavy damages to buildings in homes in the small town of 10,000 as well as in nearby Port Aransas. Now, catastrophic flooding has begun. Two feet of rain fell in just 24 hours in Houston. Forecasters are calling for as much as 50 inches of rain, the highest ever recorded in Texas, by the time the storm is over.

BREAKING: National Weather Service: Rainfall from Harvey could reach 50 inches in some spots, highest ever recorded in Texas.

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 27, 2017

The National Weather Service in Houston issued a flash flood emergency as reports of devastating flooding began to come in.

Additional catastrophic, unprecedented, and life threatening flooding continues today and into next week #houwx #glswx #Harvey #txwx pic.twitter.com/YqfFM05tXm

— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) August 27, 2017

By Sunday morning, highways and neighborhoods were already submerged.

You can view photos of #houstonflooding on traffic cameras from @houstontranstar here: https://t.co/uBkFWpQlg4 #Harvey #HoustonFlood pic.twitter.com/poHSVFFHEq

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) August 27, 2017

View of downtown Houston right now, from Instagram https://t.co/7wSWxM1z9s pic.twitter.com/ffkDkSdOK1

— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) August 27, 2017

NEW: "Isolated storm totals may reach 50" in this region." Our updated #Houston story: https://t.co/gk24h5k7OJ (Photo by Allison McLemore) pic.twitter.com/gx3YqBtmyU

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 27, 2017

View from Rosemont Pedestrian Bridge @ 9 am. Yes, this is normally a major road. #MemorialDrive #Houston #HurricaneHarvey @HoustonChron pic.twitter.com/TOWZSsMc4P

— Maggie Gordon (@MagEGordon) August 27, 2017

911 services were overwhelmed as stranded people called for help.

911 services at capacity. If u can shelter in place do so, a few inches in your home is not imminent danger. Only call if in imminent danger

— City of Houston (@HoustonTX) August 27, 2017

More than 1,000 people have been rescued so far in the Houston area. The rain is expected to continue to fall for the next few days with the possibility of the storm going back out to the Gulf of Mexico and making another landfall in Houston on Wednesday.