Source: ANTIMEDIA

After evolving into a Category 4 storm from a tropical depression in a few short days, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday night near Rockford, Texas, where it stalled for hours, unleashing sustained winds of over 140 mph and torrential rain. As the storm inched inland, the slowly reducing intensity of Harvey meant that the decrease in wind speed came with a major increase in rainfall

Overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, the worst case scenario rainfall projections appeared to be coming true. Houston and the surrounding areas were taking on water at a rate of 6 inches an hour with at least one fatality due to flooding in the city already confirmed. Catastrophic rainfall amounts are estimated to end up as high as 40 inches in some areas.



As night fell, Houston’s roadways began rapidly taking on water, stranding drivers in their cars and residents in their homes. Around midnight, the National Weather Service and local Houston authorities urged residents to stay in their homes and avoid all travel, referring to the flooding potential as both “epic” and “catastrophic.”

 

According to Darren Sweeney, a meteorologist and reporter for WVIT NBC, over 1,000 water rescues have already been made in Houston as of this morning.


 

 

Houston residents stranded in their flooded homes have been utilizing social media to plea for rescue assistance as emergency responders are inundated with calls, leaving many of the stranded unable to contact authorities.


As the waters continue to rise, Houstonians brace themselves for what might be one of the worst natural disasters to hit the U.S. in decades.

Here are a number of photos and videos showing the beginning stages of flooding already wreaking havoc on the citizens of Houston: