Saturday 05 / July / 2025
Survivors of Hurricane Harvey are beginning to return home and rebuild as evacuation orders are gradually lifted in the wake of the rains and devastating floods.
The long, difficult recovery process is starting in areas of Texas devastated by Hurricane Harvey.
With the waters slowly receding, evacuation orders have been lifted in some areas.
Residents are returning to homes hollowed out by the floodwaters... but in many cases still standing. Authorities say some 190,000 homes were damaged and another 13,500 were destroyed in the storm.
Residents of Crosby near the Arkema chemical plant have been allowed to return after authorities carried out a controlled burn at the plant that ignited during the flooding.
The Army Corps of Engineers said it is beginning a gradual release from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs.
Commander, Galveston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lars Zetterstrom, saying: "As water is drawn down the reservoirs the corps expects levels in areas flooded upstream of the reservoirs to recede. Downstream homeowners will also see a very gradual reduction...
" It's been 10 days since the storm began dumping 50 inches of rain, killing around 50 people and causing up to $180 billion in damage. Congress returns from recess to consider a disaster relief package on Wednesday.
As survivors rebuild, authorities say damaged oil pipelines are coming back online.
Harvey walloped the most important energy hub in the U.S., taking up to one-fourth of the country's oil refining capacity offline and driving up fuel prices.
But gas prices fell on Monday as the nation's oil heartland claws its way back from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey.
