>> that's what's making news in america this morning. breaking news, flooding castastrophe in texas. >> the emergency after hurricane harvey deepening overnight. >> it's scary when water is rushing that fast, rising that fast. >> the relentless rain still pounding the houston area. water submerging whole neighborhoods. a runway at a houston airport underwater and boats now navigating freeways to make rescues. >> you hate to see people lose everything they have and, you know, all we can do is try to help them get to dry land. >> people in the country's fourth largest city pleading for help. >> we need help in fifth ward. get people here now before they die. >> the millions dealing with epic flooding and the race to save them right now. and the storm's latest path. we're tracking it all.

and good monday morning. i'm kendis gibson. had >> i'm lynda lopez in for diane macedo. southeast texas is waking up to more drenching downpours and catastrophic flooding triggered by tropical storm harvey now being blamed for at least three deaths. >> harvey remains parked right there in southeast texas. it's expected to dump up to 50 inches of rain before moving out later this week. that would be a record. now, frantic rescue operations continued overnight. emergency crews and volunteers plucking trapped families from their homes, water waist deep in many areas. overnight the army corps of engineers began a controlled release of water from two reservoirs which could flood thousands of homes. >> meanwhile, this is what the runway looked at houston's hobby airport underwater. >> dramatic scene. abc's natasha barrett has the breaking details from houston right now. natasha, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and lynda. you know, i'm born and raised in this city, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to see what is

going on right now. like so many others, millions of others, we've been up all night watching what's happening to our homes because there's even more mandatory evacuations at this hour. people wondering what they should do as rivers are rising and we're far from out of the woods. harvey still could dump anywhere from 15 to 25 more inches of rain on us. rescues continued throughout the night in houston, the country's fourth largest city in crisis. >> the water came up so fast. it was incredible. >> reporter: emergency management officials are asking the public for help saying they need more boats for rescues as roads have turned into rivers. the geography in houston not helping the situation. rainwater is forced onto streets then onto small bayous easily overwhelmed by heavy downpours. first responders are stretched so thin, neighbors are pitching in to help rescue others from the devastating floodwaters that followed hurricane harvey. >> the first time in 40 years that the water has come up this high.

i've been here for 40 years. a lot of storms. >> reporter: other desperate residents are being plucked from their rooftops, some by coast guard helicopters. choppers from as far away as san diego and cape cod have joined in rescue efforts. >> that person is on their roof. they've been yelling help and hello for the last few minutes. >> reporter: many residents having trouble getting through to 911 as the system has been overrun with thousands of calls. residents are being told not to call unless the situation is life-threatening. >> we need help in fifth ward. we need people here to evacuate people. get people here now before they die. >> reporter: the city's mayor asking for patience. many of those already rescued from the floodwaters left with nothing. >> like memories that get like taken away by like something you don't expect, but i mean it's all just materialistic stuff. >> reporter: more than 2,000

people have been rescued. that number is growing at this hour. here's the other thing. for the people waiting to see if they need to evacuate, the roads mostly closed. everywhere you turn, every highway is closed because of high water. people now wondering where will they go if they have to leave their homes with their families? kendis, lynda. >> yeah, many saying the time to evacuate was actually last thursday or friday to which the mayor is getting a little bit of heat, but there's a little bit of history down there as to why they didn't evacuate people. >> reporter: you know, kendis, the mayor said this and has been answering questions about this, why didn't he evacuate at least the city limits when we knew this could possibly happen all of this rainfall but the thing is with all the coastal areas needing to evacuate, he wanted the roads to be open because back in the early 2000s, '05 i think with hurricane rita right after katrina people were frightened. they hit the roads and they were gridlocked for hours trying to get up north to dallas and

people were stranded and ran out of gas. he didn't want people to be in an hysterical state of mind so he was opening the roads for people that he knew would need it so that's why this went down the way it did. >> yeah, dozens of people died when they were evacuating one of those previous storms. natasha barrett there from our houston station, thank you. and this disaster is still unfolding because as we mentioned much more rain is expected. >> in fact, tropical storm harvey is expected to restrengthen today. accuweather's paul williams is tracking it. paul. >> what we have right now, this storm is still barely on the threshold of being a tropical storm, but it's still deadly nonetheless. the location, 28.7 north, 96.4 west. it's moving to the east-southeast at three miles per hour. winds sustained at about 40 miles per hour. now, the eye emerging just slightly off the coast expected to strengthen just a little bit at least to stay cohesive enough so it'll still have its impact as it begins to track a little bit more towards the north.

the eye has disorganized itself. it's fallen apart so it's not expected to be upgraded back to a hurricane so that's a bit of good news but the bands of deadly rain and heavy downpours still causing multiple concerns for tornado warnings issued throughout the area and take a look at this. water, we're expecting an additional 16 to 32 inches of rain from the outlying and outer tentacles of this thing. we've had over 150 and still counting tornado warnings alone. we're not even talking about the devastation of the flooding. but look at the track. we're expecting this track throughout eastern portions of texas, and i wanted to make this very simple for understanding sake. the eastern part of the state right into the southern portions of arkansas, but i want you to know this is going until friday. it's going to take it a week to travel through eastern texas. we're talking about devastating and catastrophic impact with flooding with over 50 inches of rain in some areas. >> wow. >> accuweather's paul williams joining us.

well, in houston alone, 911 operators were swamped by more than 56,000 calls in just a 15-hour period. >> absolutely incredible, and as the desperate pleas for help pour in, volunteers are joining first responders helping to pull neighbors and total strangers to safety. >> we went in there with a military grade five-ton vehicle and it was able to get in the neighborhood pretty quickly and rescue -- it was able to rescue a lot of people with that. >> so far just coming in helping people get in the boats, helping make sure they're safe. there was an elderly couple. one of the neighbors was nice enough to take them in so they could have somewhere to be. >> we just called people and asked if they needed help, and a lot of people were like, yeah, we need some help right now. >> i got the kids, i made them laugh. helped them, you know, get over their anxiety of being out in the cold water or seeing a large amount of water in their front yard. >> they're being called houston's heroes and it's not

just texas, though, parts of louisiana could see as much as 25 inches of rain from the storm. louisiana's governor is now asking the president to declare a federal emergency for at least five parishes because of the significant damage expected from the rain in the next few days. well, still ahead, president trump gets set for his trip to houston. his criticism of a controversial pardon grows. and the local newsman who found himself and his family right in the middle of the harvey flooding story broadcasting live as the waters ♪ "right this minute" is tv's number one daily viral video show. "right this minute."

tropical storm harvey pummeling southeast texas this morning. stranded families have been piling into small boats throughout the night, many of them with pets in tow rescued from rooftops, cars, as well as

bridges. and president trump is preparing to head to texas as he copes with his first natural disaster. >> yes, he's also under fire for parching controversial former arizona sheriff joe arpaio friday night just as that storm was hitting. abc's arlette saenz has the latest from washington. good morning, arlette. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and lynda. president trump spent the weekend monitoring hurricane harvey and plans to travel to texas tomorrow but he's facing a political firestorm after his pardon of controversial sheriff joe arpaio. as hurricane harvey pummeled texas, the president issued a pardon for the 85-year-old arizona sheriff tweeting, he is an american patriot. arpaio hadn't even been sentenced yet after he was convicted of criminal contempt for ignoring a judge's order to stop using racial profiling to detain latinos. the president's homeland security adviser tom bossert defended the president's decision. >> i think it's pretty straightforward what the president did. this is not something that's

going to threaten our constitutional order. >> reporter: but the president is facing sharp criticism for that pardon. former vice president joe biden wrote, quote, the president's contempt for the u.s. constitution and his willingness to divide this nation knows no bounds. and even members of the president's own party say they disagree including house speaker paul ryan and arizona's two republican senators. john mccain saying the president's pardon undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law adding arpaio has shown no remorse. and sheriff joe arpaio is lashing out at that republican criticism. in an interview with "the wall street journal," he said, the president is a great guy and i'm with him adding i'm sad what they're doing to him. kendis and lynda. >> well, he's always been a combative sheriff, indeed. arlette, thank you. well, there have been thousands of rescues in houston so far. >> and one hit close to home for people at our houston station, ktrk. joe gleason, a photographer with the station, broadcast live from his home as the waters rose. take a look. >> we actually started moving

things upstairs about 5:00 and then probably about 5:15 the water started coming through and so at that point we kind of just said, okay, let's just get, you know, the most important things, pets, kids and go on back upstairs. here's the before picture. this is what it looks like normally and then you see it today, so never before have we seen it this high. >> we're happy to report that joe gleason's family was rescued and is safe. and when we come back, the emotional scene as a pregnant woman set to give birth this week sees what happened to her home in the storm zone. and rescuers arriving at just the right time. the dramatic scenes in houston playing out just a matter of hours ago and how you can help. how do you chase what you love with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis?

do what i did. ask your doctor about humira. it's proven to help relieve pain and protect joints from further irreversible damage in many adults. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira has been clinically studied for over 20 years. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ready for a new chapter? talk to your rheumatologist about humira. this is humira at work.

perfect. when i walked through for a cigarette, that's when i knew i had to quit. for real this time. that's why i'm using nicorette. only nicorette gum has patented dual-coated technology for great taste, plus intense craving relief. every great why needs a great how. ♪ i'm lumy bargain detergent shifcouldn't keep up.ter. so, i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated, so i get a better clean. number one trusted. number one awarded. it's got to be tide if you have fleas.eas, use advantage® ii monthly on your cat to prevent and treat flea infestations. advantage® ii. fight the misery of infesting fleas.

this dramatic scene from the flood zone. good samaritans helping to pull the driver of this flooded suv to safety. houston police have asked anyone with a boat to help with rescue. the so-called cajun navy from louisiana is also responding. that's an informal group of rescuers who formed after hurricane katrina. and we've seen so many good samaritan rescues like that and so many people are still waiting to be rescued. many are taking to social media to beg for help. >> yeah, earlier i spoke with several people trapped waiting for the waters to recede. 19 of them between the ages of 7 and 96 in one home in houston. >> it was like out of a movie. we were outside. we would see one helicopter fly by one direction and another helicopter fly and then in another direction we heard boats. but when we were outside you would go in the front yard and the backyard, and you would see one or the other, a helicopter lowering someone down to save them. i mean this was going on for a good couple of hours. >> are you guys planning to

leave the home or leave that area any time? are you waiting for people to come and rescue you? >> no. we're planning to stay till the water recedes. we don't have power. we do have plumbing right now. but we feel lucky, fortunate that we're dry and we have enough food, enough water and to hopefully within the next 24, 48, 36 hours the water will recede and people will be able to go to other places. >> do you feel as if you're in danger at all? >> yes. >> very, very much so. i mean we have one of the houses that are higher up, and it's one thing to feel for your community, which is something obviously they feel very much inside, but it's another thing and just another level to be scared for yourself and your own well-being. >> like the 96-year-old, we had to get her across the street and they had to lift her in a chair across water. >> yeah, we don't have access --

i mean, there's 19 people here and to get all of us out -- >> by canoe or kayak or raft, it's a big -- >> it would be dramatic. >> and we don't have a place to go. >> well, one man is describing another dramatic rescue. he was racing to a neighborhood with a canoe to help his family. >> but on his way he heard someone on the highway yelling for help standing in chest deep water. here's what he told ktrk reporter ted oberg. >> i heard somebody screaming so i saw the guy and another kid jumped over and helped me get the canoe and we got out and i paddled up to the guy and i asked what he's standing on. he said his truck. i said what kind of truck and he said an 18-wheeler. >> he was standing on top of his tractor trailer. >> and all i could see was this part of him. >> meanwhile, more than 1,000 people who have fled the flooding are now staying at the houston convention center. here's what they told our station ktrk overnight. >> everything is under water. cars underwater. our house is underwater.

so everything is just -- and we are here with the kids. >> oh, my goodness. they've had a long night. >> yeah, we all had a long night. everybody had a long night. we were scared to go to sleep so we were taking turns to stay up, make sure the water didn't go above nobody. >> this is my front yard this morning. that's the front porch. didn't make it up to the front porch but i was getting scared but it was scary this morning. >> even more amazingly some of those evacuees at the convention center moved to houston from new orleans in 2005 after fleeing hurricane katrina. >> the coastal town of rockport initially took the hardest hit from harvey. many families have lost everything there. but the weeks family is facing even more uncertainty. you see danielle weeks is pregnant and scheduled for a c-section tomorrow. but it's now unclear if that will actually happen. our matt gutman surveyed the damage to the family's home, most of it gone. >> so either the bottom side that we can't see is torn up.

>> yeah. >> or -- >> that's the baby blanket that i was making for her. >> that was in our bedroom which is on that end of the trailer there. >> officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of rockport but they estimate that nearly half of the residents stayed put. thousands are without power and basic needs. up next, before and after images that sum up the growing catastrophe in houston and what you can do to help those in need. and also some of the most remarkable images from the flood zone this morning. stay with us. this morning. stay with us. is to make sure that that enamel stays strong and resilient for a lifetime the more that we can strengthen and re-harden that tooth surface, the whiter their patients' teeth are going to be. dentists are going to really want to recommend pronamel strong and bright. it helps to strengthen and re-harden the enamel.

it also has stain lifting action. it's going to give their patients the protection that they need and the whiter teeth that they want. ♪ it can seem like triggers pop up everywhere. luckily there's powerful, 24-hour, non-drowsy claritin. it provides relief of symptoms that can be triggered by over 200 different allergens. live claritin clear. super cool notebooks... done. that's mom taking care of business, but who takes care of mom? office depot/office max. order online and pickup in store in just one hour. ♪ taking care of business a trip back to the dthe doctor's office, mean just for a shot. but why go back there, when you can stay home... ...with neulasta onpro? strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection, which could lead to hospitalizations. in a key study, neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17% to 1%... ...a 94% decrease.

applied the day of chemo, neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the next day, so you can stay home. neulasta is for certain cancer patients receiving strong chemotherapy. do not take neulasta if you're allergic to neulasta or neupogen (filgrastim). ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems, allergic reactions, kidney injuries, and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away. in patients with sickle cell disorders, serious, sometimes fatal crises can occur. the most common side effect is bone and muscle ache. so why go back there? if you'd rather be home, ask your doctor about neulasta onpro. a live look at the radar. you can see those storms are

still pounding southeast texas. and we have plenty of new images from the devastation there in texas. take a look at these before and after images of the buffalo bayou that runs through the city. here's what it looked like before the storm and, of course, that is the day after. >> yep, overnight we learned that the controlled release of water from two flood control reservoirs in houston could flood thousands of homes. >> and many americans are asking what they can do to help the people of texas. >> well, entertainer kevin hart is trying to do his part. in a video that went viral overnight, he called on his fellow celebrities to step up to the challenge saying people in southeast texas need all the help they can get. >> i challenge the rock, steve harvey, chris rock, dave chappelle, jay-z, beyonce, justin timberlake, jerry seinfeld, and i think when you do it, you all should tag somebody else. 25,000 is coming from me. >> wow. he's putting some money where his mouth is. hart's video has already been

viewed by more than a million people, and here's an important number. if you want to help, you can text the word "harvey" to the red cross at 90999 to immediately donate $10. >> well, the flooding in texas apparently brought out one man's passion for fishing. take a look. >> wait, wait, wait. oh, my god. >> so this is a guy near houston grabbed a fish from the floodwaters that were right there in his living room. why not. living room. why not. gy. but lower back pain won't stop him from keeping up. because at a dr. scholl's kiosk he got a recommendation for our best custom fit orthotic to relieve his foot, knee, or lower back pain, from being on his feet. by reducing shock and stress on his body with every step. so look out world, dad's taking charge. dr. scholl's. born to move.

to you need moreong againsthan a conditioner, ...you need a miracle. pantene 3 minute miracle daily conditioner... has a super concentrated pro-v formula... ...that makes hair stronger* in just 3 minutes. so your hair is smoother everyday. pantene 3 minute miracle daily conditioner. because strong is beautiful. (woman) there's a moment of truth.etes, and now with victoza®, a better moment of proof. victoza® lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill, which didn't get me to my goal. lowers my a1c better than the leading branded injectable. the one i used to take. victoza® lowers blood sugar in three ways. and while it isn't for weight loss, victoza® may help you lose some weight.

non-insulin victoza® comes in a pen and is taken once a day. (announcer) victoza® is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes and is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not take victoza® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza® or any of its ingredients. stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck or if you develop any allergic symptoms including itching, rash, or difficulty breathing. serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis, so stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area. tell your doctor your medical history. taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. the most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. now's the time for a better moment of proof. ask your doctor about victoza®.

you definitely need windshield wipers over the waldo grade and even through the robin williams tunnel. heads up here. otherwise, a pretty light looking morning. we'll come back in a few minutes and give you an update on the traffic. >> thank you. >> developing news from the live desk. the governor of texas is expected to tour the texas coasten bend today after harvey made landfall as a category 4 hurricane. it has since been downgraded to a tropical storm. officials expect more than 30,000 people to be temporarily placed in shelters. at least 1500 water rescues have taken place as crews continue to search for survivors of the

deadly storm. officials are calling this unprecedented, devastating flooding. emergency workers are starting to release water from two flood control dams in houston to prevent uncontrollable flooding in the area. nearly 2,000 fema staff members have been deployed to help. >> that was my bedroom there. whether i like it or not, i got sky lights that were free. a lot of feelings, a lot of memories. pretty rough to talk about it. >> hard to watch those folks. at least four people have died as a result of harvey. the national hurricane center said at least 50 inches of rain have fallen in some areas just over the weekend. another bay area based search and rescue team is on the way to the houston area to hit areas -- to go to the hardest hit areas in the wake of tropical storm harvey. the 14-person urban search and rescue task force specialized in water rescue. they're bringing boats and

enough equipment to last a few weeks. the last time this team was called out was during the flooding in san jose earlier this year. members of task force four already left oakland saturday night to help out. if you're running low on gas, you might think about filling up today. at least ten oil refineries in the houston and corpus christi area are offline this morning and that is reducing gas supply nationwide. gasoline futures spiked 7% overnight. futures, of course, determine what gas stations will pay in the next few days. it usually takes about a week for price spikes to trickl down to the pump level. >> check out this picture from houston's public transit agency. 120 buses were moved out of low-lying parking lots and parked along a freeway stretching for a mile long to keep them out of the flooding. if you would like to help the victims, we have resources on our website, >> it's