making news in america this morning, harvey is moving inland and bringing new flooding fears this morning. the waters are still rising in texas and a new mandatory evacuation order has just been issued in houston where as many as 100,000 homes are believed to be destroyed. we're live in texas. and the explosion warning. a chemical plant six feet underwater in danger of catching fire. why there's no way to stop it from happening. and a landmark cancer therapy, it's already proved successful in a child diagnosed with leukemia. so hear why it's being called a new era in the fight against cancer. a good morning to you all. harvey is now a tropical depression bringing heavy rain to northern louisiana and arkansas, but there are new

problems in southeast texas. early this morning there were at least two explosions at a flooded chemical plant in crosby, texas. several people are being treated after inhaling fumes near the plant. the immediate area around that facility has been evacuated. >> at least 32,000 people have packed into shelters, most of them in the houston area. the death toll now tops 30, but that number is expected to rise. this morning, firefighters will begin going door to door searching for victims. and at this hour new mandatory evacuations have also been issued near an aging reservoir. the water level in the 79-year-old barker reservoir is rising. >> there are now fears that it may collapse. abc's maggie rulli continues our live coverage from houston. maggie, good morning. >> reporter: diane and kendis, good morning. harvey is now moving inland as that tropical depression where it's expected to drop another 8 inches of rain on top of tennessee and kentucky, and while it's no longer raining here in texas, unfortunately, the worst may be far from over as it's estimated the storm may

have damaged as many as 100,000 homes. in some parts of houston water rescues and recovery missions are still going around the clock five days after hurricane harvey made landfall. now a tropical depression, harvey continues to batter the gulf coast. >> a river inside, outside, upside down side. >> reporter: port arthur desperate to escape the rain. >> i'm scared for my babies. >> reporter: even though the rain has stopped in houston, the floodwaters continue to rise. roughly 15,000 calls for help have poured in. officials now going door to door marking bright orange cs on homes that are clear. officials estimating up to 40,000 homes are destroyed in harris county alone. >> but 100,000 is certainly not out of the question. >> reporter: those returning home to see the damage sift through their now waterlogged possessions. >> this is in my blood. this is where i'm from. i'm not going. i'm not leaving. >> reporter: and homeowners who

lost everything, it's estimated more than 80% of them don't have flood insurance. >> i'm okay. i'm just ready to go home, and i don't have a home because they're flooded out. >> reporter: relief efforts are now under way. the u.s. navy is sending two ships to the gulf of mexico. last night more than 30,000 people slept in shelters like this one. now people say the only heartening thing out of all of this is, diane and kendis, look behind me, those desks have been manned 24/7 by volunteers. so many people showed up here, they actually had to turn them away, so at least something, the community coming together in a time like this. diane and kendis. >> yeah, we heard the same earlier from marci gonzalez. quite an outpouring of support there in houston. maggie, thanks. and so far the national guard alone has rescued 8,500 people and evacuated 26,000 more. >> and other federal agencies are also pitching in as well. abc's rob marciano joined a crew from customs and border

protection as they rescued people from the floodwaters. >> reporter: we're in the air over devastated port arthur, texas, pummeled with catastrophic flooding. >> basket going out. >> reporter: with the cbp air and marine operation searching for residents in desperate need of evacuation. >> hold your position here. >> reporter: it's surreal. they are true heroes. first up, an elderly couple and their dog stranded in their neighborhood. this woman soaking wet. >> the patient is inside. >> reporter: hoisted in by basket. a smile of relief. happy to be safe. next the man and his dog all safe tonight. we've already made one of an elderly couple and their dog. we're right back at it. across texas dramatic rescues like these, black hawk helicopters spotting families in the floods. first responders rappelling down and hoisting residents to safety. >> and rob marciano spent 90 minutes in the air with that crew. in that time alone they rescued 15 people. >> incredible numbers there. in the meantime, economists

say harvey will be the costliest natural disaster in u.s. history. the oil and gas industry is among the sectors hardest hit. >> our analysis shows that we may be talking about an impact of more than $190 billion to the economy from the storm, so quite significant. this is not like anything we've seen before in terms of the magnitude of the flooding across houston and surrounding areas. now, we're already seeing one effect, a spike in gas prices, an increase of up to 25 cents a gallon is now expected by the holiday weekend. about 20% of u.s. oil refining capacity has been shut down because of the storm. meanwhile, houston's two main airports have re-opened, but service is limited. passenger flights resumed yesterday afternoon at bush and hobby airports, which have been closed since saturday. they're hoping to return to full service by sunday. and vice president mike pence is heading to texas today. he says he wants to reassure texans that the administration will provide all the support

they need to restore, recover and rebuild. >> we've seen some remarkable spirit all week long from the first responders, of course, who are helping those in need. >> oh, yeah, but one woman rescued from the floodwaters showed her own spirit and a strong sense of humor despite the ordeal she just survived. listen to what she told reporters right after she was rescued. >> i didn't realize i was on camera. >> you're live. >> no. >> you look beautiful. >> no, i would have worn my wig for the occasion. >> she forgot to pack that. >> it was a good wig, yeah. >> not bashful in front of the cameras clearly and happy to report she's doing just fine this morning. we're not sure about the wig. >> i think she had her spirit, definitely. we're making a big push today, we should point out, to raise money for storm relief efforts. abc's parent company disney teaming up with the red cross for a day of giving. >> "good morning america" will be kicking off those efforts with a day long telethon. a panel of celebrities will be fielding calls, so give them a

call. you never know who might pick up and many people in need of those donations. well, still ahead, the u.s. flexes some military muscle in response to north korea's latest missile launch. plus, president trump hits the road starting with a big push for changes to the tax code. and some important medical devices in danger of being hacked. the new wa

it's a live picture of the radar. harvey is now a tropical depression, but it is bringing rain to much of louisiana this morning. and the president addressed the devastation, in the meantime, in texas during a visit to missouri. >> he directly acknowledged the victims of harvey after being criticized earlier in the week for not mentioning them during his visit to texas. here, take a listen at what he had to say. >> in difficult times such as these, we see the true character

of the american people, their strength, their love and their resolve. we see friend helping friend, neighbor helping neighbor and stranger helping stranger and together we will endure, and we will overcome. to the people of houston and across texas and louisiana, we are here with you today, we are with you tomorrow, and we will be with you every single day after to restore, recover and rebuild. >> the president was in missouri pitching his plan to overhaul the tax system. speaking at a manufacturing plant, he promised tax cuts will lead to stronger growth for small businesses and the middle class. >> the foundation of our job creation agenda is to fundamentally reform our tax code for the first time in more than 30 years. i want to work with congress, republicans and democrats alike,

on a plan that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker and pro-american. >> now, the president took aim at missouri's democratic senator claire mccaskill telling the crowd, if she doesn't vote to lower taxes, they should vote her out of office. breaking overnight, a show of force against north korea. u.s. fighter jets flew over south korea this morning just hours after this, take a look. it's the u.s. missile defense test taking place. the military intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile off the hawaiian coast. >> the standoff with north korea is producing mixed messages from the trump administration. the president tweeted yesterday that talking is not the answer when it comes to dealing with kim jong-un. but defense secretary james mattis later said the u.s. will never run out of diplomatic options. north korea, meanwhile, has called for more missile launches into the pacific. we learned overnight from the pentagon there are now 11,000 american troops currently serving in afghanistan. that's nearly 3,000 more than previously disclosed.

officials say as part of an effort to be more transparent, the new troop numbers now include those who are on temporary and covert missions. troop levels are expected to reach 15,000 in the coming months. a new alliance has reportedly formed as the russia investigation moves forward. politico reports special counsel robert mueller has teamed up with new york's attorney general to investigate president trump's former chairman paul manafort. they're reportedly sharing evidence on manafort including his financial transactions and real estate deals. the move may give mueller more leverage to compel manafort to cooperate because the president does not have the power to pardon state-level crimes. when we come back, what's being called a potential second disaster in southeast texas. the concern right now about a major explosion at a flooded chemical plant. the evacuations ordered. also ahead, money pouring in. the unexpected surge for one football superstar's efforts to help houston.

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well, here's one illustration showing the extreme power and strength of the rushing floodwater. those are cement highway dividers that were lifted up and tossed across several lanes ending up in piles looking like toys and building blocks there. >> tropical depression harvey is bringing heavy rain into western tennessee later this morning. and even though it's no longer raining in south texas, there's still a chance of more flooding because of runoff. new evacuations have been ordered near a houston reservoir. >> and damage to public property from harvey is estimated at about $97 million so far. 10,000 national guard troops from other states have joined the texas national guard starting with the recovery effort. and there's another breaking news story outside of houston. a chemical company says there have been at least two explosions at its plant in crosby located about 25 miles northeast of houston. the arkema plant makes products used in water hoses and foam

cups. they need to be kept cold but several feet of floodwater cut power as well as two backup sources in cutting the refrigeration. >> one deputy taken to the hospital after inhaling fumes. nine others went to the hospital as a precaution and there are concerns more explosions could follow. the company's ceo put/a statement saying it could explode and saying there's no way to prevent caughting i will a potential for a second disaster. >> officials previously evacuated a 1 1/2-mile radius hours before the explosion. families and their pets could be seen boarding school buses and military vehicles to get out. >> so, again, explosions at a flooded chemical plant outside of houston. a deputy has been hospitalized for inhaling fumes. a spokesperson for the plant says additional explosions are expected and we will continue following this breaking news as we get more but right now a very precarious situation there

justout side of houston. in the meantime, nfl superstar jnl watt, well, his goal this time of year is usually sacking quarterbs aftermath. >> the houston texans lineman wants to raise $10 million for the flood victims, and he's already more than halfway there. here's abc's t.j. holmes. >> reporter: j.j. watt, star defender for the houston texans is taking to social media to raise money for hurricane relief efforts. >> it's very tough to watch your city get hit by such a bad storm and not be there to help. >> reporter: starting with his own $100,000 donation on sunday, watt challenged his followers to match it and raised over $500,000 in less than a day. and after tackling that goal, he raised the bar even higher. >> and i've upped the goal to 1.5 million now. >> reporter: and higher. >> $2 million. >> reporter: now, after raising nearly $9 million, the nfl star is setting his biggest goal yet. >> everything is bigger in texas so i'm raising the goal to $10 million. >> reporter: money is pouring in

from over 85,000 individual donors. t.j. holmes, abc news, new york. >> every dime helps. well, to ease the impact of harvey, houston's independent school district is now offering every student three meals a day for the rest of the school year. the meals will be provided free of charge for all 215,000 public school students and, of course, a reminder that schools are closed at least through labor day. well, some kids at a houston shelter got a very welcome surprise visit from a superhero. your friendly neighborhood spider-man came by to say hello. he handed out stickers and added lots of smiles to lots of young faces lifting their spirits of some adults, as well. happy to see spider-man is here. up next, what doctors are calling a major advance in the fight against cancer. the new treatment just approved. and driving through an inferno. first responders on the scene of a wildfire forcing thousands from their homes in the west. west. nick was born to move.

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every great why needs a great how. ♪ we're taking a look at some stunning images from a wildfire burning out of control west of redding, california. the flames are threatening several homes and businesses forcing thousands to evacuate. about 1,500 acres have burned so far. the fda has approved a new weapon in the fight against cancer. the first treatment using the patient's own immune cells. for now the treatment is only approved for younger patients with a certain form of leukemia like 12-year-old emily whitehead here, the first child to undergo the treatment. it's genetically engineered therapy that works by reprogramming a patient's own immune cells then sending them back into the body to destroy the cancer. >> most of these patients remain

in remission years later, and so that makes us think maybe that's actually a potential cure for some of our kids, and that's very exciting to us. >> reporter: when emily was first diagnosed, doctors warned her parents there was little or no hope for her. but five years later her doctors say she is cancer-free. and there is an urgent warning this morning that nearly 500,000 heart patients with implanted pacemakers could be vulnerable to hackers. the fda has issued a voluntary recall for certain cardiac devices from st. jude medical now owned by abbott laboratories because of security flaws. patients will need to visit their doctors to get an update to prevent potential tampering with pacemaker settings. so it turns out that american dads are getting older. a new study finds the average age of a dad of a newborn in the u.s. is now over 30 for the first time. >> that's compared to 27 back in the early 1970s. the reasons cited include better birth control and a focus on careers. researchers found the oldest new dads live in the northeast. the oldest person in the study

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lottery officials may put the machine on display, so now the woman who won all the money, she can retire. >> she retired. she immediately retired. >> who knew the machine can retire now too. i didn't know it worked that way. >> i've heard like horses that have won the kentucky derby or are in the triple crown, like they're put out to pasture and get to retire. i've never heard of a winning lottery machine. >> it's kicking back. >> it's kicking back. >> sitting back on a beach. live >> yeah, not producing new lottery machines out there like a horse. >> we have more news coming up. up. your body was made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other

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good morning on this thursday, august 31st. thanks for getting up with us. it's 4:27. and it feels like it. >> it feels like it, and it already feels like it's going to be warmer today. before we go to meteorologist mike nicco, happy belated birthday, alexis. so lovely to see you. bringing the heat, mike. >> is that you? >> i'm not bringing the heat. is that your birthday present? i would like to different one. >> she kept her receipt and she wants to return it. >> regift it. absolutely. let's take a look at what's going on. hi, everybody. let's get you up to date. let's go to what's going to happen today. advisory for the north bay, east bay, south bay valleys. excessive heat warning. more dangerous heat in the east bay hills and the diablo range. look what happens friday through monday.

everybody except for the coast and san francisco in an excessive heat warning. that means it's goto be dangerous for at least four days. saturday will be the hottest day at the coast and san francisco. you will be under a heat advisory. more on the numbers and the poor air quality up next. here's alexis. >> we're starting off fairly quiet on the roads. one blocking issue so far today. it does sound pretty minor. this is 880, just north of 238 on the southbound side. a van lost control, that spun out, it is facing the wrong way, but it made it to the right-hand shoulder. i'm not seeing delays in the area. we have emergency crews on the way to the scene. that should stay a minor issue. a pretty tough spot, so i'll keep a close eye on that. we'll look at drive times in a couple minutes. we're going to begin with breaking news at the live desk. want to get you the latest on harvey's destruction across the gulf coast. only a short time ago, a pair of explosions were heard and black smoke seen rising from a

chemical plant in crosby, texas. a deputy was taken to the from the plant which produces organic peroxides used in a variety of product. nine other officers drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution, and the scope of the explosion still unknown at this point. yesterday, authorities evacuated workers and residents within a mile and a half radius of the chemical plant. the plant was shut down last week. it was flooded under more than five feet of water. >> thank you. the sacramento county sheriff's department says the suspect who shot and killed a deputy is a 32-year-old man from the bay area. his name has not been released. he killed 52-year-old deputy robert french in a shootout yesterday. french and other members of an outo theft task force had gone to a hotel when someone opened fire through the door.

two chp officers were hurt. the suspect was captured after a chase. >> 17 pounds of meth off the streets this morning thanks to santa clara police. you're looking at the haul of a surveillance operation. they also uncovered a loaded handgun and $28,000 in cash. the bust happened last week. they arrested two people. santa clara police call it one of the largest meth busts in the department's history. >> an oroville man is under arrest accused of starting the fire that destroyed ten homeser writs it's threatening 500 other structures. it scorched 3100 acres since it began on tuesday. only 10% contained now. investigators say the man they arrested started an illegal camp fire that got out of control. >> 4:30. if you're just joining us, time to wake up with weather and traffic. >> let's look at what's going on as far