Hurricane Harvey: 1 Reportedly Dead As Harvey Downgraded To Tropical Storm

HOUSTON, TX — At least one person was confirmed dead and about a dozen others injured as Hurricane Harvey pummeled Texas before being downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, though rain from the event is expected to last well into next week, creating life-threatening conditions. Rockport Mayor C. J. Wax said a man was trapped inside his burning home at the climax of the Category 4 storm, according to a local news report. Harvey barreled through Rockport with winds of 130 miles per hour Friday night, and some officials have said they fear that there may be more dead once they uncover debris. In addition, more than 250,000 people are still without power as Harvey continues to punish the Texas coast and inland counties Saturday morning with heavy rains and tornadoes.

Harvey was downgraded to tropical storm status Saturday afternoon as winds near the eye of the storm dropped to 70 miles per hour, but Texans aren't out of the clear. There are 60,000 in the Houston area without power, and hundreds of flights at Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airport have been delayed. Meanwhile, Authorities in Rockport and the coastal bend looked for what was left after the powerful category 4 storm pummeled the area, leaving debris everywhere.

The storm made landfall near Rockport with wind speeds greater than 130 miles per hour, leaving a path of destruction in the small seaport towns between Corpus Christi and Port O’Connor. The storm spread overnight and now sits meandering as a category 1 storm from Houston to Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

Harvey may be weakening as it sits over Texas, but the biggest risk to Texans is massive flooding that’s expected, with some projections of more than 35 inches of rain in some places. Patch editor Bryan Kirk reports on this tornado that hit in Sugarland this morning, and there are reports of tornado warnings north of Houston in College Station and Bryan. And flooding in Houston is inevitable as rains continue to pound the coast and the Bayou City.

Harvey Could Be The Strongest Hurricane To Hit The US Since 2005

"Unfortunately, the citizens of Texas are about to endure a very long and deadly inland event," FEMA Administrator Brock Long said. "This system is, this is just the beginning. We're going to see over the next 72 to 48 hours devastating rainfall; we recognize that."

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In the first reports of damage in Rockport, CNN reports that homes have been destroyed and buildings have toppled, possibly with people still in them. The Aransas County Sheriff's Department and Rockport police said it received more than 30 calls for help Friday night, but they were in their own shelter as the winds of 110-130 mph made their way through town.

Rockport was under a mandatory evacuation, and officials told all residents that if they didn't leave town, write their Social Security numbers on their arms with a magic marker so they could be identified if they didn't live through the storm.

Hundreds of flights have been delayed in Houston-area airports, and 20,000 cruise line passengers are at sea.

The National Hurricane Center stated Saturday morning that Texans can expect more torrential rains over the next few days and that this wasn't a typical storm that hits land and quickly moves inland and dissipates.

Down in Matagorda County on Friday, a tornado hit the town of Sargent. According to KHOU, the tornado tore apart sheds, knocked down fences and sent debris flying around.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will evacuate three prison units along the Brazos River, which is rising at a rapid rate.

Here is a list of high-water locations around the Houston area, according to Houston Transtar:

• IH-10 Westbound At FM-359 in Waller County Exit Ramp
• IH-45 NORTH Northbound At N MAIN ST Right Shoulder, Right Lane
• IH-45 NORTH Southbound At N MAIN ST Right Shoulder, Right Lane
• IH-69 Southbound At ISLEIB RD in Fort Bend County 3 Frontage Road Lanes
• US-290 NORTHWEST Eastbound At BINGLE RD Right Lane
• US-290 NORTHWEST Eastbound At FM-2920 Left Lane,Right Lane
• SH-288 Northbound At SOUTHMORE BLVD Entrance Ramp
• SH-87/ Broadway Northbound At Rollover Pass in Galveston County Right Shoulder, Center Lane
• SH-87/ Broadway Southbound At SH-124 in Galveston County Right Shoulder, Center Lane
• BELTWAY 8-EAST Northbound At SPENCER HWY Entrance Ramp
• EAST SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY Southbound At SPENCER HWY Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder, Left Lane, Right Lane, Exit Ramp, HOV Exit
• SH 275 / HARBORSIDE Eastbound At IH 45 Gulf Freeway in Galveston County Left Lane, Right Lane
• SH 275 / HARBORSIDE Westbound At SH 87/ 2ND ST in Galveston County Left Lane, Right Lane
• SPUR-342 Northbound At IH-45 in Galveston County Left Lane, Center Lane

Harvey is the first major hurricane, rated Category 3 or higher, to make U.S. landfall since Wilma arrived in 2005. The storm was projected to be so powerful that most Houston-area schools, universities and businesses shut down Friday afternoon and canceled events over the weekend.

The sports scene in Houston wasn't badly affected as high school football in Texas doesn't begin until Sept. 1, and the Houston Texans and Houston Astros are currently out of town. However, both pro sports franchises have home games next week, and those could potentially be pushed to Dallas. The Astros are scheduled to host the Texas Rangers Tuesday-Thursday, and the Texans are scheduled to play the Dallas Cowboys in the final preseason game on Thursday at NRG Stadium.

Here’s a roundup of some of Patch’s coverage of Hurricane Harvey:

• Rockport Hurricane Harvey Grave Advice: Mark Arms With Sharpie Before You Die
• Hurricane Harvey: NASA Views From Space Show Storm’s Massive Scale
• Hurricane Harvey: Senior Center Roof Collapses In Texas Town In Storm’s Path
• Hurricane Harvey: Nearly 500 Flights Canceled At Houston Airports
• Hurricane Harvey: Babies In Corpus Christi NICU Flown To Cook Children’s Hospital
• Hurricane Harvey Floods Couple’s Wedding Plans 3rd Time
• Hurricane Harvey: Flooding In Houston Imminent As Rains Pound Texas Coast
• Hurricane Harvey: Devastating Photos As Storm Pummels Texas Coast
• Hurricane Harvey: Bottled Water, Food, Flies From Store Shelves Across Texas
• Watch Live: Hurricane Harvey In Real Time
• Hurricane Harvey: 200,000 In Texas Without Power
• Facebook Appears To Go Down As Texas Faces Hurricane Harvey
• Hurricane Harvey: Texans, Cowboys Game May Move To Dallas
• President Trump Monitors Hurricane Harvey, Urges Evacuation
• Hurricane Harvey: Coldplay Cancels Concert After All
• Photo Journey Around Coast As Texans Prepare For Hurricane Harvey
• Here’s What People In Texas, Across America Tweeted About Hurricane Harvey
• Hurricane Harvey: Tornado Hits Missouri City, Texas
• Hurricane Harvey: Where To Find Shelter In The Storm
• Hurricane Harvey: Travis County Opens Shelters for Storm Evacuees
• Hurricane Harvey: 20,000 Cruise Ship Passengers Stranded At Sea
• Hurricane Harvey: HEB Stores Close As Storm Bears Down On Texas Coast
• Hurricane Harvey: Houston, Galveston Schools Close
• Hurricane Harvey: Evacuations Begin In Gulf Coast Counties
• Hurricane Harvey: Central, South Texas Residents Brace For Storm

Sam Houston State University postponed its Saturday college football game against Richmond, and both soccer franchises — the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash — cancelled their games.

Big-name artists like Coldplay, Mary J. Blige and Lady Antebellum cancelled their Friday shows, and there was one couple from Orange, Texas, whose wedding was postponed for a third time thanks to Harvey.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.

Top image: Jennifer Bryant looks over the debris from her family business destroyed by Hurricane Harvey Saturday, Aug. 26 in Katy, Texas. Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them.

Photo by David J. Phillip/Associated Press