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HURRICANE WATCH: One Confirmed Death As Hurricane Harvey Continues To Slam Texas

Barcelona By Baikonur - photo taken by me (Baikonur), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95554

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Daily Caller News Foundation will be issuing updates on Hurricane Harvey as they occur.

Saturday, 4:37 p.m. EST: Officials confirmed Saturday that Hurricane Harvey is responsible for at least one death in a small city located on the southeast section of Texas.

Rockport Mayor C.J. Wax confirmed one fatality and said officials expect to discover more victims as search and rescue operations in Texas continue to ramp up. The storm remained a hurricane shortly after it made landfall Friday night, and downed power lines and heavy winds have made it difficult for authorities to assess the damage or the number of people expected to take cover.

“We have not been able to completely assess damage with current winds at 90 plus,” Wax told reporters. “Widespread devastation unknown loss of life.”

Images of downed trees and collapsed businesses began popping up on social media after the storm arrived, bringing with it 130 mph winds. Harvey is the first Category 4 storm to pound the U.S. since Hurricane Charley. Some argue the storm is the biggest one to pound the eastern coast since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

The day after a direct hit from Category 4 #Hurricane #HARVEY. Widespread, heavy wind damage across Rockport, Fulton, Aransas Pass. pic.twitter.com/Ixm2F0leqD

— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) August 26, 2017

Southern Texas was deluged with rain. The National Hurricane Center told reporters that a rain gauge near one of the small cities in the hurricane’s path recorded more than 16 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. More than 200,000 Texans are without electricity.

The storm came with power and vigor, but Harvey lost some of its punch Saturday morning. It still maintained hurricane-force winds of 80 mph until it was officially downgraded to a tropical storm, with sustained winds of 70 mph. Citizens must still contend with torrential rain and flooding.

The area around Rockport, for instance, could see up to 60 inches of rain throughout the week. “Please take the flooding threat seriously,” the National Weather Service tweeted Saturday. “Remember, this is a multiday event … marathon not a sprint.”

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