How Massachusetts Is Dealing With Tropical Storm Harvey

As Houston grapples with the deadly Tropical Storm Harvey, which brutalized the city and the Texas coast over the weekend and is gearing up for a second landfall on Tuesday, emergency crews, volunteers and good Samaritans nationwide are lending aid.

So far, eight people have been reported dead as boats search Houston neighborhoods for thousands still stranded in their homes. Mass evacuations remain underway. Harvey, now a tropical storm, has dropped up to 40 inches of rain in some parts of Houston and the surrounding communities, leaving the roads and major highways underwater and the infrastructure crippled.

The storm's totality could be more than 50 inches of rain when all is said and done. Houston averages that number a year, making this a catastrophic event.

New England Lends A Hand

The relief effort has spread to New England. In Massachusetts, Air Station Cape Cod sent two coast guard helicopters and a Coast Guard plane, as well as 18 crew members, to assist in rescue operations. Nine other Cape Cod Coast Guard members were dispatched.

The Cape Cod Coast Guard had conducted 14 rescues as of Sunday.

FEMA volunteers with Massachusetts Task Force One in Beverly – a conglomerate of first responders and civilians – are also aiding in search and rescue work.

Four Rhode Island American Red Cross workers have left for Texas to provide aid for Tropical Storm Harvey survivors, and three firefighters from Concord, NH are traveling with Task Force One.

Ways To Help Out

On Monday, the New England Patriots announced that the team and the Kraft family will match up to $1 million in donations to the American Red Cross in support of the Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund.

The City of Boston will sponsor a "Help for Houston" drive from Tuesday, Aug. 29 to Thursday, Aug. 31. Items needed include new clothing and blankets, toiletries, diapers, baby formula and non-perishable food items. Donations may be dropped off at the following locations:

• City Hall (3rd Floor Lobby & 5th Floor Mayor's Office Lobby)
• 1010 Massachusetts Ave (5th Floor)
• Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St., Roxbury (1st Floor Lobby)
• 26 Court Street (1st Floor Lobby)
• Boston Centers for Youth and Families HQ, 1483 Tremont St., Roxbury
• Boston Centers for Youth and Families sites
• 3rd Ave. Burlington (Thursday)

United Methodist Church in Westborough is urging those who wish to help to donate to UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief). All of the proceeds go toward helping those in need.

From now until Sept. 6, the YMCA of Metro North in Peabody will donate the proceeds from all guest pass fees to the YMCA of Greater Houston and match them, as well.

Are you holding a fundraising drive or accepting donations for Houston? Email alex.newman@patch.com and let us know.

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Tropical Storm In Massachusetts

While the rest of country bears down on Houston, the Cape is preparing for its own tropical storm. Unlike Harvey, this one is expected to strike a glancing blow to the region and the worst-case scenario is heavy rain and 50 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service.

Good thing, too. The National Weather Service projected what a storm like Harvey would look like in New England, and it isn't pretty. A storm that size would leave much of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island underwater:

Gas Prices Going Up?

Massachusetts gas prices are up two cents from last week, and a couple of factors could lead to another spike. This weekend's Labor Day travel – the last major travel weekend of the summer – and Tropical Storm Harvey's assault near the Gulf of Mexico could combine to boost gas prices even more.

The average gallon of self-serve unleaded is going for $2.26, according to AAA. It's far better than the national average of $2.37, but it's much worse than the $2.11 per gallon the Bay State was averaging this time last year. AAA reported Massachusetts gas prices range from $2.11 to $2.39 per gallon.

AAA Northeast said local prices could be subject to "additional upward pressure" with multiple factors playing a role.

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Photo caption: Rescue boats fill a flooded street at flood victims are evacuated as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise Monday in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)