things could champ by the hour and literally by the day. >> the house is four foot under water. >> what's going through your mind when you see this? >> grief. >> it is prey scary. there are a lot more neighbors where we came from trying to stay aboveground. >> we prayed a lot, and we were rose -- rescued. and we thank god. >> we need people to know that we are here for the long hall. >> houston city leaders report that 185 critical rescues are still under way.

they can people to hang sheets or towels from their roofs to help find them. the flooding is nowhere near done yet. harvey could dump 50 inches of rain that would top any of texas's previous records. a floating for the "foreseeable future." 55 people forced from their homes and now a massive effort under way to figure out what to do with them since some flaed with little more than the clothes on their backs. our reporters are all over the state and here in the news room covering this unprecedented event. i hear there are rescues on going behind you?

>> that's right, casy. and we move from gall zestton to dickenson. that is an orlando front loader that is hauling a trailer with kayaks in it. we have seen every type of boat and piece of machinery going into the waters to see if there is anyone that can still with rescued. a lot of the people are volunteers. they just live in the area that felt the need to come out as soon as possible. first it happened so suddenly over such a wide area of texas that not all of the proper authorities could get every place at once. it was up to neighbors to answer the call and rescue some people, and now two days into this the efforts continue with people coming not just from all over texas, we saw a group from

louisiana known as the cajun navy. they started to form last year after big floods in louisiana. they drove through the night. they are spread out trying to use boats and whatever they can to help rescue people. we know help is coming with helicopters. police sending police officers and firefighters and others to help. you see the front loader now going back into the water which is fairly deep. a couple young men on there with kayak that's can also look for people and rescue people, and you still see all of the cars out there that have been stuck since the storm hit. there is no way to get the cars out until the waters resecedere. >> joe, is there any indication that anyone was stuck in those cars oar were they able to

abandon them before the flood waters got that high? >> that is the hope at this point, we're stit waiting for official numbers but if you look below, from further up, as far as we know people probably would have gotten out of the cars if the waters were not too much higher. they would have been able to push out and get to safety. as far as we ho know people were able to get to safety pretty quickly. there is a little bit of a current, a little bit of a pous. it can. firing and you can be swept up in it. >> thank you, let's do to miguel who is live in houston where he is -- that is not, that is texas senator ted cruz. sorry that a switch with the lines there, miguel, can you

hear me? >> yeah, i'm here. >> talk to me about what you're seeing with houston's refin refineries. >> they are critical for gas across the country. they are facing sheets of pounding rain and rising flood waters. 3,000 at the part of the shell corporation cannot get to work, but it means there are thousands that can't reach this area. getting here for us was pretty treacherous rounds and freeways. you to make multiple turns and go the opposite way. they are not coming to work. they're still taking stock of the damage at refineries like this one. what that mean social security there is a high likelihood that

gas prices across the country will increase because the gulf coast is such a major provider. they are still assessing the damage early in this storm, but we still face several more days of rain and rising float waters. that is a concern here so for people across the country, gas prices are a major issue in the coming days. >> meanwhile, texas senator ted cruz is at the convention center in how's being used as a shelter. thank you for joining us, how are your residents coping? are there enough beds and supplies? is everyone getting the help they need. >> the city of houston and the texas gulf coast is reeling. this storm has done history im.

there have been over 2,000 high water rescues. and the convention center where i am now is a center that has been set up with beds, and we're expected to hit ka has pi by the day. and the highest priority still remains on the preservation of life. on high water actions. i think we're headed forwards getting through this, but there has been an incredible coordination of assets. all working together, people risking their lives to pull people out of way. >> there has been talk if there should have been an earlier

order of a man tire evacuation in houston, do you think that should have happened in hindsight? >> i think there will be plenty of time after the disaster to assess what could have been done better. at this point i think everyone's attention has to be focused. yesterday when i was speaking to the mayor in houston, he conveyed a real short of of assets, boated, helicopters, and high water actions. so i was on the phone yesterday with officials trying to mar shall additional assets. we have over 3,000 national guards man. we have the coast guard that that is actively working.

they are coming up to provide assistance and the focus needs to be continuing on reaching people in need, and let me say to anyone at home that is watching this that may be in the path of rising flood waters, stay out of harm's way. don't go in the attic unless you have an axe to get out. if at all possible, avoid going in your car. unless it is an emergency, the worst thing you can do is get in and going into swiftly moving water. it can put you and your family, lives and safety in jeopardy. find a place that is safe, high, and dry. if you're in trouble call 911 so emergency responders can come help you. >> 450,000 people are expected to ask for aide once this storm is over. are you confident, and can you

guarantee they will get the help they need from the federal government? >> i am confident of that. in the last several days i spoke with president trump, the vice president, and all of the officials are committed to the full, ennews yas tick spots. they instructed every cabinet member to lean in as aggressi aggressively as possible. i'm very close with greg abbot. just yesterday he signed a set up for a command center so we can coordinate the response and not have a problem with the two working together. i'm confidence that everything needed at the federal level, that the president directly committed whatever texas needs they get and get swiftly and i'm

grateful for that commitment. >>. >> do you think that it is the right time to come considering the storm is still on going and could stretch into the weekend? >> i understand where the president does not want to come, he doesn't want to come too soon and disz tract -- distract from the emergency services. >> would could the rouses be used in houston right now? >> i am confident that the forecast golf will devote the resources needed, and that is what my office is working hand in hand with local majors, county judges, officials, police

officers and connecting them with state and federal resources. i'm confidence that korz nation will continue. >> i know you're busy, i want to let you get back to doing whatever you can, a lot of people are pointing out you voted against aide for sandy after that cat strofic storm in the northeast. and they are pointing at you saying you're asking for money now when you were not willing to help the people in the north's, what do you have to say to them? >> there is time for political shieping later. >> it's not really political shieping, these are people that needed money and funding after that storm, i covered those people lost absolutely everything they owned. >> well, katie, of course that is right, and the accurate thing to say is that i and i number of

others supported hurricane relief for sandy. hurricane relief and disaster reheef has been a vital central role for a long, long time. that particular bill became a $50 billion bill that was filled with unrelated pork. two thirds of the bill had nothing to do with sanity. and what i said then and still believe now is it's not right for politicians to exploit a disaster for them to pay for their own political wish list. it needs to focus on victims of disaster relief, and i did that for sandy and i do anywhere there is a major disaster without getting distracted by unnecessary spending. >> let's hope that everybody in texas is getting absolutely everything they need to get through this storm and to recover afterwards. thank you for joining us and good luck out there, sir. is your family okay?

>> thankfully our family is okay. we have a number of friends whose homes have been flooded and they have been rescued by boats. but every time we see a crisis like this what is so encouraging is to see texans coming toget r together. there are hundreds who have just taken out their own boats and jet skis to rescue those in high water. there was one woman who has to use a walker who was trying to walk in waist high water, and she was given a ride to the shelter here. it is texans helping texans. it makes a huge, hugh difference and texas is grateful for the prayers, support, and generos y generosity. >> and the aftermath of this

storm will be felt long after it is over. >> thank you. >> and a reminder fen that we're waiting for greg abbot to speak at any moment. meanwhile, mya rodriguez is joining us now by phone. you have been covering the rescue efforts all morning. i saw you talking to a cup until a car a little earlier. they said they don't have help in their home. they believe they have food until saturday, what else are you hear something. >> we're hearing from all kinds of people out here. you heard from houston's major and police chief, and they're trying to make head way. there is about 185 that are still sort of outstanding in the area, but there have been shows

of water rescues so far here in the houston meth row area. people trapped on their roofs and in their hooms. one message we want to get out to part-time is we're n to let people know, we're coming to get you. they did not think it would be flooded this way. a lot of people went to bed thinking everything will be fine. some were trapped on their roofs for hours. five, six, seven, eight, 12 hours. people bringing private boats here trying to rescue people. taking it upon themselves to help their neighbors and get them out again. it was overwhelming for all of the first responders to respond

to thousands of calls coming in. >> there is a lot of concern about the river, if it rises up to 60 feet, rf they prepared to deal with the effects from the overa overall. >> you have water here. it will have to be released at some point. the pressure will be just immense on the system here, some areas that are not flooded yet could see water in them and that is a huge concern here. you have a few other rivers. all of these waterways, rivers, contribute tears, there is a potential they could rise and

the float areas that have not seen water yet. they're all holding their breath because no one knows where all of this water will end up. >> just because you have not seen flooding yet does not mean you won't make it through the storm without seeing flooding. we keep hearing stories of people who say there is very little water on their street or in their home only to be woken up at 5:00 a.m. to the rising flood waters, mya rodriguez in houston, thank you, stay safe out there. steve sausna is monitoring the situation. is this going to get worse before it gets better? >> yes, and this is day four. this is hard to believe it could get worse after all of the devastation that we have seen. i was showing our crew in the weather center this. this little circulation that you see here, the circulation is

about 40 miles away from there. this little dot here is responsible for all of the clouds and the explosion of thunderstorms that we're seeing over the houston area right now. because that circulation kept in tact, and now that it's back over the water, we have concern now for new rain bans to form. that's what we have at this hour developing just south of houston. look at the clock here going on. look thousand is just filled in here over the last few heres. this is what you don't want to see. that is why the flooding conditions will get worse. it doesn't take measure now to get that water to come back up and unfortunately with the system limping at 3 miles per hour, you could watt faster to t --walk faster to the coast than this storm moved. a source of moisture is. that is why it will deliver rain

not just to houston, but areaing across louisiana as well. that is new as of today. five to eight inches of rain in that area. these are the number that's we have been watching. 10, 15, 20 inches right around the houston area. a lot of this will fall tonight into tomorrow with that rain ban that i showed you. things will not get better, they will get worse. we'll be tracking that and showing you some of the levels and concerns with that coming up here through the next hour. >> is there worry at all that the storm that is back over the water could reform into a hurricane? >> no, and the reason why is that when the storm came in, it churned up the watter with bringing the chilly water from the gulf back up to the surface. it will gain some steam but it

churned up but not a hurricane. a little good news in a bad situation. we're going to go to new orleans next. the federal response as well will it hamper rescue efforts on the ground? you just heard texas senator ted cruz say he hoped not. t will not be quick or easy. >> helping text overcome the disaster will be far better. we need citizens to be involved. texas, this is a landmark event, we have not seen an event like this. crank it up! i want danger!

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weekend. he said the all-out effort is going well. he also tweeted act the border wall and nafta and that is on top of all of the headlines that came out during the storm from his pardon of sheriff arpiao. they plan to visit texas tomorrow, it is a trip the vice president said the president is ank strus to make. >> the president wants to be there and make sure that everyone knows that we're with you. >>. >> peter alexander is at the white house, is he still plans to go to texas tomorrow? >> yes, that is why they moved up today's meeting, it is likely he will make remarks about the

federal government's response. white house officials have not made it formal yet, but it is our understanding that the president insents to go to corpus christi. he will not bo going to houston. they have been filled with praise saying from the president on down, he gives them an a plus for their efforts so far. he has been updated by his chief of staff, john deathly as well as tom bossert as well. they were both at fema during katrina more than a decade ago, the president expected about two

hours from now likely to take questions from reporters and to speak about the situation in texas. >> local authorities will need to assist the president when he goes down there, right in they're still dealing with effects of the storm down there and couldn't they be of good use in houston or other areas where there is flooding? >> yeah, it is without a doubt. president obama in the past was very reluctant to go to disaster areas or take away emergency resources there, but there is also responsibilities for commander and chief. he is showing that he is in command right now. they are reassuring americans they will do everything that is net. >> thank you for joining me. joining me now is mitch landrew. major, thank you so much for joining us, the president has

approved an emergency declaration for louisiana. how can that make a difference to you. our hearts and prayers go out to all of the people in houston, and in texas. it brings out memories for us if is not the way houston is, but we have potential flood situations that could occur even here. the declarations are always important for communities. ten days ago you had a hurricane evacuation stand up that we did so we could be prepared. emergency preparations are much better than they were 12 years ago. as you see you can be inundated by an event like this.

houston will suffer suffer tremendously from this. i think it will require a national respond. >> it is moving over parts of louisiana right now, mobile by towards new orleans. are they working properly, are they -- >> i think we will be able to handle whatever the forecast has coming our way asoons the rain bans you see. they always said it would be a problem. they anticipated that on going on. they said it is unlikely to turn into another hurricane.

as always they happen very quickly. you have to stay focused on it. we believe that we're ready. >> mayor, having gone through something like this before. what advice do you have? >> our thoughts and our prayers, but i would hunker down for the long haul. they're going through searches and rescues. that is dangerous for the citizens and the first responders. people you never thought would reach out and help each other will be there. when the water goes down the dam will be tremendous. it will require the entire nation to help texas stand back up, and we believe it should, but this is not going to happen overnight. >> what about those that had to flee their homes one again. houston was so wonderful to us

throughout the storm, we're forever thankful, and i'm sure the people that left here, going through there, a very difficult and heartbreaking situation. it will require us to help each other out. >> thank you very much for joining me, sir. >> let's go back to katie beck in victoria, texas at an intersection flooded out from the storm. people are heading back, but the rain could deliver new problems in the area. are residents there just going to hunter do hunker gown or go else? >> i think there is a lot of fear and anxiety. this is a town on the gaudreau

h -- guadalupe river. what you're seeing here would be nothing. as you see there is neighborhoods, low lying neighborhoods all around the river, and most of the people in these neighbors have left. there are a few stragglers running around, but most boarded up and left and they stayed away assuming the rainfall could flood. we spoked to a gentman yesterday, he said when i lost everything in 1998, i was not sure i would recover and i can't go through again. there is high anxiety as they wait here. it is devastate for a lot of homes and businesses. >> i saw you alt a local market

earlier today. is irchs getting the foot, water, and ice they mie need. what's the semiout there j warm or chilly? >> it is texas in august. there is some warmth, but not nearly as hot as it would be without the rainfall. it certainly cools it off a little bit. folks are fortunate in a tense that without air-conditioning or power, if it was an average day, it would be absolutely pru dal. it is pretty do able. the line was epic long all morning long. 75 cars steady just waiting to get ice and water. the flies rigy supplies right n. the inventor is coming from store that's are trying to be helpful, but it will run out at some point. that's why i think people in such a rush today. parts of town will be closed off

because they will be under water. >> katie beck in victoria, texas. next, we take you back to houston at the convention center that is turned into a shelter for families forced from their homes. >> as we go to break, we tell you how you can help texas. several ways to donate to the red cross. by calling, texting, or donating online. all of this is available online. causing a lack of sharpness, or even trouble with recall. thankfully, the breakthrough in prevagen helps your brain and actually improves memory. the secret is an ingredient originally discovered... in jellyfish. in clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve short-term memory. prevagen. the name to remember.

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and the governor of texas who was supposed to be giving a live press conference at the top of the hour, it has swbeen push back, but we will bring that to you live when it starts there. let's go to phillip who is at the houston convention center that is now serving as a convention center. the folks that have been displaced there, how many of them came with their belongings, and how many came with just what they could carry on their back? >>. >> i would say they came with what was on their back, but we asked a couple guys, what did you have with you when you left?

>> just really my clothes, my car, and that was really it. and that was it, i mean, i had to leave, so -- >> and you have nothing -- >> i got stuck. >> where? >> i got stuck at 59 and hillcroft. >> the water was rising on you? >> yeah, it was rising and then i drove to 16 and bellaire, so i slept there overnight. >> they saved you somehow? >> i knew they wanted to safe people with medical needs and my pri rescue was not a priority. so i swam and a truck picked me up and then i went to a church. >> you said you're going to

volunteer now? >> yeah, i'll be back and forth it's right down the street. i want to try to volunteer. >> giving back almost needily, right? >> quick, how were you able to get out? >> we were at a hotel, we saw a couple of the helicopter rescues going on in the area, and then we flagged down a boat that was passing by. they let us know that once they finished the more critical areas getting everyone out of there, they would come to our apartments. so they were coming, get women and children first, and after that, trying to get more people out. it's only a matter of time in that raers with as bad as the flooding was. >> i lived in that same apartment complex that got flooded out and it is bad, when i did live in houston here. thankfully you were able to get out and everyone is okay? >> yeah. >> and now you're going to go

back and volunteer. very cool. survival stories like that, giving back, it's so great when you see what is going on. these are just two of the 2,000 people that are here expected to fill this coca passty which is 5,000 people. >> remarkable that gentleman there swam to safety, do they have enough beds for everyone? >> right now they do they have the capacity for 2,000 more and after that may will reassess the situation. they have been in exact with the mayor's office to see what happens beyond that ekts traxtr. thank you so much. i'm joined now by ken paxton. thank you for joining us. we're hearing reports and we always here about price gougings with those that need water, they

go to the store and a six pack of water cost them $40. how are you preventing that from happening? >> my office has been at work all weekend long. we have an open line to our office. we have an internet and website, we got about 500 complaints over the weekend. overcharging of water, we had charges, over charges from bred, fuel, hotels, and we're investigating all of these. some are legitimate, some are not, people are letting us know through pictures, e-mails, and phone calls. once people start trying to get back home, what scams should they be on the lookout for? >> some of the big scams were

related to home repair and roofing. i don't knee in people know about price gouging and that it is a problem. they certainly should, the penalties created by the legislature are severe. up to $20,000 per occurrence, so we're serious about this issue, and if we find it, we'll pursue it. >> hard to imagine that people are trying to hurt people who are just trying to recover from a storm. thank you ken paxton for joining us. >> keep us in your prayers. >> absolutely and as we have been talking about, harvey is forcing thousands of people out of their homes and disrupting the lives of millions of others. again, this is not over yet, the waters are still rising and first responders are still working. one of them is harris county

sheriff ed gonzalez. they have been working day in and day out to rescue folks trapped in the flood waters. sheriff, thank you very much. first, the 911 system is being inundated with calls for help. some people say they are having trouble getting through, what's your advice for them? >> we recommend for them to hang on and not give up. i'm out here out in the field and i can hear over the radio just continuing calls for water rescue occurring. we're trying to help as many as we can, so we'll get to you, just be patient and try to use some common sense out there. >> is social media helpful in times like these? >> i am utilizing it quite a bit. i'm trying to direct resources as best as possible, and you know we're utilizing it as well.

advising them what part of the county that i'm at. we want to make sure we supplement 911. it is the primary tool of joyce, and i realize we can't get to everybody in realtime. i'm out here involved in rescue operations myself. >>. >> we saw you rescuing folks on a canoe, talk to me about what this experience as been like, seeing your city, neighbors, completely under water. >> you know, i hate seeing my hometown impacted in this way. the canoe i was in was provided by a neighborhood that allowed me to get in there and help me save people. i posted an image earlier from

my personal twitter feed showing a residence that was almost under water and that was the same neighborhood. it would have been under water. but we're out here now, trying to rescue more folks and we're going to continue around the clock. we're proud of our deputies, we have people demanding all of that that have been doing good work. >> if a resident finds themselves trapped in rising flood waters without the ability to call for help or call for 911 or use social media, do you have any advice for them? what should they do? >> the main thing is try to get to high elevation. we have air support up in the air trying to assess the situation for that very thing to try to spot people on rooftops and what have you.

if you don't have to go up, just seek cover. try to avoid attics because you can get trapped with rising water. if you do, take an axe or something that you can cut through the roof. you po be in survival mode, just seek higher elevation. >> and sir, is your family okay? >> yes, we make sure that all of our temperatudeputies are mindf their families. so we're all good, tired, weary, but keeping our spirits up and trying to get through this. >> sheriff, good luck out there, thank you. >> up next, a woman that escaped katrina and fled to houston is no fleaing back to new orleans. highways which were once highways are now refers.

neighborhoods looking more like likes and it is going to get work as casey bla-- blaishows u. >> you see how swift this water is moving, there are fears that the river will rise another 19 feet before it crests tomorrow and the river will put pressure on nearby levees that could give way. officials are issuing mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders telling people to leave and get out of your homes. you will not be able to come in and save you.

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and p once again, we're still waiting for fk governor greg abbott to take the podium there in corpus christi to give an update about the damage assessment and the rescue efforts that are under way during this storm which is still on going. it's just one of the cities that many residents had to flee from, corpus christi when harvey hit. southern texas has also become home to many eevacuees of hurricane katrina. she lost everything in katrina, relocated to houston and now she might have lost everything all over again. kate, you're driving back to new orleans s right? >> i am, yes, right now. >> and talk to me, why did you

end up leaving your home when so many of your neighbors decided not to? >> because i learned in katrina that people say it doesn't matter. it's never flooded out here, nothing will happen. just ride it out, you know, with no electricity. and i learned to be a reallyist that anything can happen at any time. so i is take no chances any more. i have a one and a half year old and i'm currently six months pregnant, so being able to get to a hospital or, you know, anything even worse than that, i wanted to be able to be prepared. >> we're taking a look at your home on our screen right now. the flood waters are creeping up. do you have any idea on how your home is faring today? >> well, we just got news about ten minutes ago saying that all of particular inson is under a mandatory evacuation as of 2:00 p.m. today. so nobody --

>> and how are you doing? i mean, it's hard to fathom being forced to relocate because you lose everything in one catastrophic flood, let alone being forced to do it again. >> it's something that i hope most people don't ever have to go through in their lifetime. i was only in high school when i lost my house. i came home to my entire house being on my front yard. so i hope that we don't have to go through any of that again. but the thing is everyone, no matter color, race, religion, comes together in their community at a time like this, like no one has ever seen. they will become stronger and it will make everyone better people. >> and your dad was a medical

first responder during katrina. >> yes. >> and he helped check out everyone's life after the storm. how is your family doing right now? >> well, they've been -- we actually went to alexandria north louisiana first when we evacuated and my family has been begging me to come down here ever since because i've always evacuated with them when we had a hurricane. so they're constantly worried, checking up on us and just wanted us to be there with him to finish riding it out, make sure that our home is okay and to come back if they needed to to help with everything. >> kate beard, congratulations on your pregnancy. i'm so sorry. >> thank you. >> i'm so sorry about this again, and i hope you're going to come back to something. i hope it all turns out okay. thank you for calling in. we appreciate it. >> thank you. have a nice -- >> thank you. and here is texas governor greg abbott giving an update on the

storm right now from corpus christi. >> the coast of the great state of texas responded to this horrific hurricane. it is i am measurable, courageous and hee roirk. i'm proud of the way they responded. i'm grateful about the they were able to evacuate so many people and minimize the loss of life. the most important thing we have are our lives, and to be able to get through the storm the way we did and save so many lives is nothing short than remarkable. at the end of our meeting i was actually called away by a call from the president of the united states, and he asked me to pass on to these local leaders his gratitude and how impressed he

was with the way they responded to the hurricane. so thank you all very much for your unpair held leader shim. big round of applause for these great leaders. [applause] >> there is a reality that we have to come to grips with, and that is we are just beginning the process of responding to this storm. we are still involved in the search and rescue process. our number one goal from corpus christi all the way to east of houston is still protecting and preserving life and rescuing every person that we can find. our second goal is to ensure that our fellow texans have access to necessities, food, water, supplies and power. during our meeting we were able

to get confirmation that power is in the process of being restored in areas that desperately need it. these are the early stages. it still may be a day or two, but the point is that there are responses that are taking place very swiftly. we understand that one of the biggest needs is taking care of those power outages. without that power you have a hard time functioning. and so we are pressing forward constantly -- the basics of food and water will be provided to everyone who needs it. we have points of distribution that are set up in every county, and the county judge and leaders in that county will be in charge of all the points of distribution for that county to ensure that the water and food that we are providing will reach every silt zen who needs it.

we also know that there are other needs. i heard specifically about growing needs for port oh potties. i was told to tell you that they will be arriving tomorrow. we are so proud to see that the water supply for corpus christi is either back up and running or shortly will be. i know that tceq worked with corpus christi as well as the other water providers to make sure that can happen as quickly as possible. we are still involved in search and rescue missions in port aran sass and rockport. we are grateful in those locations as well as where for all that heb and walmart, lows and soon to be home depot are doing. so there is mh