making news in america this morning, harvey is moving inland and bringing new flooding fears this morning. the wears are still rising in texas and a new mandatory evacuation order has just been ordered in houston where as many as 100,000 homes are believed to be destroyed. a chemical plant six feet underwater in danger of catching fire. why there's no way to stop it from happening. a landmark cancer therapy is 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 y

harvey is now a tropical depression bringing heavy rain to northern louisiana and arkansas, but there are problems in southeast texas. >> yeah, the city of beaumont has lost its water supply because the flooded pump station is no longer working. also evacuations forced overnight in a small texas town because a chemical plant is on the brink of exploding. >> at least 32,000 people have packed into shelters. most 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. >> at this hour new mandatory evacuations have been issued near an aging reservoir. the water level in the 79-year-old barker reservoir is rising. >> there are now fears 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

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 harvey made landfall. now a tropical depression harvey continues to battering the gulf coast. >> inside, outside, upside down side. >> reporter: port arthur desperate to escape the rain. >> i'm scared for my babies. >> reporter: even though the rain 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. >> about 100,000 is certainly not out of the question. >> reporter: those returning home to see the damage sift through their now waterlogge

possessions. >> this is in my blood. this is where i'm from. i'm not going. >> reporter: 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, diane and kendis, look behind me, those desks have been manned 24/7 by volunteers. so many showed up they had to turn them away. so at least something the community coming together in a time like this. diane and kendis. >> we heard the same earlier from marci gonzalez. quite an outpouring of support. thanks. so far the national guard alone has rescued 8500 people and evacuated 26,000 more. >> a

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. with the cbp marine operation searching for residents in desperate need of evacuation. it's surreal. they are true heroes. first up an elderly couple and their dog stranded in their neighborhood. this woman soaking wet. 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. right back at it. across texas dramatic rescues like these, black hawk helicopters spotting families in the flood. first responders rappelling down and hoisting residents to safety. >> rob marciano spent

in that time they rescued 15 people. >> 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, increase of up to 25 cents a gallon is now expected by the holiday weekend. 20% of u.s. oil refining caste has been shut down because of the storm. 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 servicby

heading to texas today. he says he wants to reassure sex texans that the administration will provide all the support they need to restore, recover and rebuild. >> we've seen remarkable spirit all week long from the first responders, who of course, are helping those in need. >> 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. no. >> you look beautiful. >> no, i would have worn my wig for the occasion. >> she forgot to pack that. >> good wig. >> 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

with a day long tell thereon. a panel of celebs 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 the big push for changes to the tax code. and some important medical devices in danger of being hacked.

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

here take a listen at what he has 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 rat 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 formed as the russia investigation moves forward reportedly. politico reports robert mueller has teamed up to investigate president trump's former campaign chairman paul manafort and sharing he had on him including financial transactions and real estate deals and may give mueller more evidence to help him. when we come back what's being called a potential second disaster in southeast texas. a concern right now about a major explosion at a flooded chemical plant. the evacuations ordered. also ahead, money pouring in. the unexpected surge

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it's the milk that doesn't mess with you. well, here's one illustration showing the extreme power and strength of the rushing floodwater. those are cement highway dividers 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. 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 houston reservoir. >> 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 developing story right now. a flooded chemical plant is now in danger of exploding. >> yeah, the area nearby has been evacuated and one official says this could be a second disaster for that area.

abc's clayton sandell reports. >> reporter: crosby, texas, is dealing with too much water and now the potential for fire or worse. the new danger coming from a flooded manufacturing plant, the ceo of arkema says he expects chemicals stored there will catch fire or explode within six days saying there is no way to prevent it. in a statement the company describes the situation as serious. dozens of hopes are nearby and everyone living within a 1 1/2-mile radius ordered to evacuation. families, their pets leaving in school buses and military vehicles. the chemicals used to make hose, foam cups and plastic pipes need to be kept cold but more than 40 inches of rain knocked out electricity, killed backup generators and now threatens the remaining cold storage units. what is not clear is just how big a fire or explosion might be and what impact it might have people and the environment. right now federal, state and

closely. clayton sandell, abc news, houston. >> another disaster in the making there. well, in the meantime, nfl superstar j.j. watt, well, his goal this time of year is usually sacking quarterbacks. well, now he's tackling the disaster left in harvey's aftermath. >> he 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 for the houston texans is taking to social media to raise money forharvey efforts. >> it's hard to watch your city hit and not be there to help. >> reporter: starting with his own $100,000 donation he challenged his followers to match it and raised over half a million in less than a day. and after tackling that goal, he raised the bar even higher. >> i've upped the goal to 1.5 million now. >> reporter: and higher. >> $2 million. >> reporter: after raising nearly $9 million, the nfl star

>> everything is bigger in texas so i'm raising the goal to $10 million. >> reporter: money pouring in from over 85,000 individual donors. t.j. holmes, abc news, new york. >> every dime helps. to ease the impact house intelligence committee's 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 schools are closed at least through labor day. 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. driving through an inferno. first responders on the scene of a wildfire forcing thousands from their homes in the west.

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only nicorette gum has patented dual-coated technology for great taste, plus intense craving relief. 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 1500 acres have burned so far. the fda has approved a new weapon in the fight against cancer. 9 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

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 and that's 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 you are cent warning that nearly half a million heart patients with implanted pacemakers could be vulnerable to hackers and the fda issued a voluntary recall from st. jude medical owned by abbott laboratories because of security flaws. patients will need to visit their doctors to get an update to prevent tampering. 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. >> compared to 27 back in the early 1970s.

birth control and focus on careers. researchers found the oldest new dads live in the northeast. the oldest person in the study was a man who fathered a newborn at age 94. >> wow. >> and then again at 96. >> what was in his coffee? holy cow. so overseas this morning, we should point out there is a sea of tributes for princess diana on the 20th anniversary of her death. mourners are leaving flowers and other gifts outside kensington palace. a live picture here of the scene. diana was just 36 when she died in a car crash in paris while being chased by the paparazzi. >> yesterday her sons william and harry along with duchess kate honored her with a visit to the memorial garden. as the rain fell they viewed many of the tributes that were left at the gates of the palace by the people. back here at home the lottery machine that produced this month's $758 million powerball jackpot is now out of service for good. >> the massachusetts lottery has retired the

it was used for 20 years before spitting out the numbers that led to the largest jackpot ever won by a single ticket holder. lottery officials may put the machine on display but so now the woman who won all the money, she can retire. >> she retired. she immediately retired. >> who knew the machine can retire too. >> i've heard horses have won the kentucky derby or are in the triple crown they're put out to passion tur 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. >> not producing new lottery machines omorning washington. it's august 31st-- the end of the month is here, as we approach the holiday weekend. but the remnants of hurricane harvey, also heading this way. your stormwatch forecast is moments away. first-- lets take a quick look at some of today's top stories. torrential rain in texas sparking new flooding concern. take a look at this highway-- now to

at least two flooding deaths reported there since yesterday. there have been at least 31 harvey-related deaths in texas in less than a week. tens of thousands are now in emergency shelters. president trump is moving forward with a push to drastically change the nation's tax laws. while the president has offered few specifics-- he is calling for lowering the corporate tax rate... from 35 to 15-percent that drew swift criticism from d-n-c chairman tom perez, who says the proposal would overwhelmingly benefit the super-rich. good morning washington. toss to eileen - seasonable today; much cooler tomorrow - rain from harvey late friday through saturday - drier sunday & labor day monday - irma could strengthen to a hurricane today today: partly sunny. seasonably warm and a touch humid. highs: 81-85 win

or storm early. mostly cloudy. becoming breezy. lows: 53-59 winds: n 5-15+ mph friday: mostly cloudy. unseasonably cool. showers arrive late. highs: 65-69 winds: ne 5-10 mph we are following breaking news right

washington. police say a shooting overnight has turned into a homicide investigation. police tell abc7 that a man was found shot, just before midnight in the 14 hundred block of harvard street. the victim was rushed to the hospital, where he later died. police have a very vague description of the shooter, but have released no information on a possible motive. we will bring you updates on this story as they come into the newsroom. right now. metro police are looking for the woman who tried to abduct a 7-year-old boy off a metro bus. police tell us the boy was riding the 92 bus to school with his 13-year-old sister, when the woman approached him. she reportedly asked where his parents were, and then tried to get him to come with her. thats when other passengers stepped in. investigators are looking at surveillence video, trying to identify a suspect. senator john mccain is heading backo

to the u-s senate next week when congress is back in session. senator mccain is undergoing undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with brain cancer. developing now... back to school concerns in stafford county- after parents find out there's lead in the drinking water at some schools! at least 6 out of the 12 schools tested-- have one or more fountains or taps-- with levels of lead above what the e-p-a considers safe. stafford schools are reassuring families-- saying they have shut down all those fountains and taps- or posted signs nearby. to see which schools had elevated lead levels- we've posted the complete list at wjla.com. construction workers in denver, colorado... discovering something unusual - a 66-million-year old dinosaur fossil. check it out - the bones and skull of a triceratops were found last friday. a horn and shoulder blade has also been unearthed. now construction crews are helping scientists figure out how much more of the dinosaurs' skeleton might be there. the bons

they'll likely be put on display at some point. it's xx and we're just getting started. freeways flooded-- and lives lost. harvey finally moving on-- leaving a path of destruction. where it's headed, and the latest from hard-hit texas. good morning washington. - seasonable today; much cooler tomorrow - rain from harvey late