Harvey Deals Houston and Coastal Texas a Devastating Blow

PHOTO: Hurricane Harvey has caused unprecedented flooding in Houston and other parts of coastal Texas. (photo via Flickr/Jill Carlson, (jillcarlson.org)[/IMAGECAPTION

Both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Houston Hobby Airport have shut down commercial operations “until further notice" due to flooding caused by tropical storm Harvey.

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And Royal Caribbean has diverted Liberty of the Seas to Miami and cancelled the August 27 sailing.

The airports have announced that all inbound and outbound roads have flooded.

Although Houston Bush had remained minimally operational in the early hours of Sunday, by midday the airport ceased all flights.

The announcement follows that of Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, which closed early Sunday morning after flood waters reached the airport’s runways, and that of Corpus Christi International Airport, which closed on Saturday.

Both Houston airports put out near identical tweets.

All commercial flight operations have been stopped until further notice. IB/OB roads are closed due to flooding.

— Houston Bush Airport (@iah) August 27, 2017

All commercial operations at Hobby Airport have ceased until further notice. No flights in/out and roadways in/out are closed.

— Hobby Airport (@HobbyAirport) August 27, 2017

By yesterday, some 3,000 flights had been cancelled and those numbers continue to skyrocket with the closure of Houston’s two major airports. According to USA Today cancellations have hit 4,000 flights including some 1,000 flights cancelled on Monday.

Other Texas airports, including those in Dallas, San Antonio and Austin are also feeling the effects of Harvey. In Dallas, some 16 per cent of flights have been cancelled. That number jumped to 25 percent for San Antonio and Austin.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean International has confirmed that it will divert Liberty of the Seas to the Port of Miami.

Liberty of the Seas is one of four cruise ships that were scheduled to return to the Port of Galveston this weekend but were delayed due to adverse conditions caused by Hurricane Harvey (which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm but continues to wreak significant inland damage.)

On Friday at noon, the captain of the Port of Galveston set the port at condition Zulu, which means gale force winds were expected within 12 hours. The port remains closed as of Sunday afternoon.

Via Twitter, Royal Caribbean posted that the Liberty of the Seas will now head for Miami, where it will dock Tuesday morning. The ship is expected to return to Galveston on Friday, when “forecasts have improved.”

Hey there. We're confirmed to arrive in Miami on Tuesday, and return to Galveston for a Friday arrival, when forecasts have improved.

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) August 27, 2017

Some 20,000 passengers on four Galveston-bound cruise ships have been affected by Harvey.

Passengers who were booked to depart from Galveston on the Liberty of the Seas itinerary on Sunday, August 27 sailing will receive a full refund as well as a 25 per cent discount on a future cruise according to a statement from Royal Caribbean posted on the port website.

The full statement reads:

“This is Royal Caribbean International with important information about your Liberty of the Seas sailing. Due to the severe impact of Hurricane Harvey and Galveston port closure, we unfortunately have to cancel your cruise scheduled for Sunday, August 27. We are sorry for the impact that this storm has had on your vacation and appreciate your patience as we worked through this. Please know that this decision was made with your safety in mind.

Your cruise fare and fees will be 100% refunded to the original form of payment. It may take 4-5 business days to reflect on your account. We are looking forward to welcoming you back, so we are offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on your cruise fare if you choose to book another cruise in the next 30 days. Please stay safe.”

Harvey made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday night as a Category 4 hurricane. Although it was since downgraded to a tropical storm, Harvey continues to slowly push inland while dumping record rainfall and causing “catastrophic” flooding in its wake.

By Saturday evening, the storm had made its way to Houston, causing the city's already swollen rivers and bayous to overflow. Houston received more than half a metre of rain within 24 hours and is in the midst of historic flooding. Affected residents have been urged to find high ground or climb to the roof of their house as they await rescue.

Daylight reveals the extent of flooding in Houston #hurricane #harvey #Houston buffalobayoupark #flood #flooding #… https://t.co/YCyGkAJg6M pic.twitter.com/wAYU7zZz7G

— DoubleHorn Photo (@DoubleHornPhoto) August 27, 2017

It is expected that Harvey will continue to dump more rain on besieged Houston at least until the middle of the week.

“Additional catastrophic, unprecedented, and life threatening flooding continues today and into next week,” tweeted the National Weather Service.

The Weather Service has also issued a tornado warning for parts of Texas—the City of Frisco confirmed via Twitter that a tornado has touched down within its borders.

Confirmed tornado touchdown FM 442/FM 360. Witnessed by deputy. #Needville @nwshouston

— FBCSO Texas (@FBCSO) August 27, 2017

At least one woman in Houston has died due to Harvey—she was found trapped in her flooded car. She is the second confirmed Harvey-related casualty. On Saturday, a man in the coastal city of Rockport died after being trapped in a house fire. Other casualties have also been reported but remain unverified.

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

The Weather Service has called the storm “unprecedented and beyond anything experienced.”

Some 2.2 million people live in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States. Last year the city welcomed a record 20 million visitors. According to the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport handled a combined load of 55 million passengers in 2015.

Brian Simpson contributed to this story.

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