Recovery

Hurricane Harvey has highlighted a climate debate that had mostly stayed out of public view — a debate that’s separate from the battle over greenhouse gas emissions, but more consequential to the lives of many Americans.

Since Harvey made landfall Friday night as a hurricane, some areas of Houston have seen up to 50 inches of rain — more than they usually receive in a year.

'It’s going to save the insurance companies a lot of money and cost homeowners a lot of money in denied claims.'

'We learned some lessons and got to higher ground before it hit. We weren’t waiting for any mandatory evacuation orders.'

'We think you’re going to have what you need and it’s going to go fast.'

Many residents turned to social media with desperate calls for help, while the Houston Police Department called on civilians with boats to help with rescues.

As the rain kept pouring, as many as 13 million people, from Houston to New Orleans, were under flood watches and warnings.

As Harvey ripped through the Houston area Saturday night into Sunday, leaving much of the nation’s fourth-most populous city under feet of water, scores of residents who had been told to shelter in place were left stranded.

The Red Cross, Salvation Army and others are taking donations.

The monster storm, which roared ashore Friday night near Rockport as a Category 4 hurricane, packing winds of at least 130 mph, has spread across hundreds of miles of South Texas.

As the rain kept pouring, as many as 13 million people, from Houston to New Orleans, were under flood watches and warnings.

Rockport, Texas, police, hampered by lack of cellphone or radio service, were assessing damage throughout the city Saturday morning and looking for any residents who might need rescue or medical help.

More than 20,000 cruise ship passengers are stuck at sea in the ships, along with commercial ships including roll-on/roll-off carriers, two grain ships and a few bulk carriers.

Harvey is headed like a battering ram toward the Texas coast and was upgraded late Friday to a Category 4 hurricane.

Rain predictions remain in flux but forecasters are calling the storm 'life-threatening.' It could bring 20 to 25 inches of rain.