has south texas under water from tropical storm harvey. next. ♪ >> action news. delaware valley's leading news program with meteorologist melissa mcgee. jeff skversky. sarah bloomquist. and walter perez. they knew that a powerful hurricane was coming. but no one expected a torrent of

water still falling on south texas. in fact, no longer measuring the rainfall in inches. now by foot. it's far from over. sunday. >> reporter: rescues continue in the dark of night here in houston. >> we got you. >> reporter: bisected by rhodes roads that are now rivers, america's fourth largest city is in crisis. >> we need help in fifth ward. we need people here to evacuate people. get people here now before they die. >> reporter: the 911 system overrun. 56,000 calls in just 15 hours. many people say they can't even get through. houston's mayor is asking for patience. >> this is pretty much like day two. okay? there will be day three. and there will be day four. and there may be day five. >> reporter: first responders and good samaritans are working around the clock, desperately trying to keep up with the cries for epihad. those rescued are often left with nothing. >> memories that get taken away.

something that you don't expect. but, i mean, it's all just materialistic stuff. >> reporter: she has no dry clothes, no shoes. she was grateful to be plucked from the waters. and like so many others, she says she was left stranded without a place to go. >> they said there would be buses. no buses came. we were sitting there in the rain just waiting for somebody to take us. and then -- that's when peter came to rescue us. >> reporter: and peter, you're just a good samaritan? >> i have been cooped up at my home for two days watching you guys. and i said you know what? i'm able-bodied. i might as well go ask if there's anything i can do. so i drove down there. >> he is our hero. >> reporter: more than 600 billion gallons of water have been dumped on to houston. and concerns about the possibility of dam breakage, officials are planning to release water from two reservoirs, a move that will impact thousands of homes. reporting from houston, lana

zachs. >> thank you. many victims victims in flood sn areas who have not been able to get through to 911 are relying on social media to call for help. one family posted this picture on twitter, saying, quote, still trying to get a water rescue. the water is even higher and the little girl is on a ventilator. please send help quick. unquote. home is under a few feet of water and they say they have been sleeping on the kitchen counters inside the home. volunteers and first responders helping those in need are scouring neighborhoods to help victims get to dry ground. clyde posted this on instagram of his family being rescued by a group of strangers in a green boat. one by one, they helped his daughter and other members of the family get to safety through a window. and as always, with great tragedy, there's great heroism. houston sheriff ed gonzalez and his colleagues waded through neck-deep flood water to reach a man who had been stuck for hours. how about that?

meanwhile, a woman from houston posted this video and she says so much rain has fallen, it caused a huge sink hole to crack open. look at that. at the end of her street. and as he spanned over with her camera phone, you can see the highway below, already flooded. forecasters say it's far from over. my goodness. and, of course, whenever these kinds of things unfold, the american red cross is always among the first on the scene. annie mccormack is live in center city with that part of the story. annie. >> >> reporter: walter, that's right. volunteers from our area are in houston, texas. today two left headed for louisiana. the task is to distribute food to the victims of harvey. however, where they're going and what they're doing could change. it's still a fluid situation. and in just a matter of days thousands of volunteers are expected to be on the ground. members of the red cross embrace before embarking on a long journey to baton rouge,

louisiana, on sunday. annie and heidi are headed with a truck stuffed with food to help victims of harvey. it's the first deployment for these volunteers. both were helped by the red cross at one point in their own lives. >> very humbling to give back from the red cross gave to me. >> i'm there to help them. it's a very hard thing that they have to go through. they lost everything. >> reporter: the head of the eastern pennsylvania chapter of the red cross says nationally 10,000 volunteers are expected to pitch in. including more from our area in the coming days. >> we have been on the phone since thursday calling each and every volunteer to say, can you deploy? if you can't deploy now, can you deploy in two weeks? >> reporter: already local volunteers are on the ground in texas. fred from sellersville, bucks county, is helping at the red cross' houston headquarters and gave us an update by phone today. >> there's probably a couple hundred people here at our headquarters. out in the field there's got to

be maybe another thousand. so we're scattered around all over texas. >> reporter: headquarters in philadelphia house one of the organization's two national call centers. volunteers are busy aiding victims in the heart of the storm 24/7, providing shelter and emergency information from hundreds of miles away. the red cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. to help people affected by the hurricane, visit redcross.org. or call 1-800-red cross. or text harvey to 90999 to make a $10 donation. and all the red cross volunteers that head down there ha disaster training. they could go for two weeks at a time. some can go up to a month to three months, depending on their skill level and what the need is when they get there. reporting live in center city, annie mccormack, channel 6 action news. >> this is far from over.

thank you. and the pennsylvania task force one urban search and rescue should be in texas shortly. the 11-truck convoy and the 45-member team left at 3:00 this morning for the 22-hour drive. took a lot of water rescue gear to help the victims of tropical storm harvey in any way they can. >> out pulling people off the roof of houses, things like that. but they're very apt at getting into heavy concreted buildings that have collapsed or are under water. and they'll go in there and search. our hearts go out to everybody down there dealing with this, you know? we're hoping for the best for everybody. >> and assuming conditions deteriorate further in texas, pennsylvania could send another 40 members from the unit. there are 11 other similar teams from all across the country in texas today. and now word came that new jersey's task force one is headed there as well. move on to meteorologist melissa

mcgee with more on the conditions that the search teams face in the flood zones. >> well, walter, dealing with rising waters. not just for tonight, but over the next several days. that's the problem with the tropical system we're tracking. look at the rainfall in the lonestar state. unprecedented. dayton, we have seen 27.45 inches of rain. dixie farm road, more than two feet reported there. lamark, 25.43, houston intercontinental airport, 19.59 inches of rain, and more to come. satellite 6 along with action radar showing you harvey is still a tropical storm right now. you can see the outer rain bands feeding from the gulf of mexico, pressing to the north and east of houston with a tornado warning up for portions of houston. so tropical storm harvey, winds right now at 40 miles per hour. it's moving very slowly to the southeast at about 3 miles per

hour. just jogging along you can see by monday it's still overhead. and it could strengthen before it comes offshore, goes back over land into friday. we talk about the impacts with harvey. little movement over the next several days heavy downpours on the way. 15-25 inches of rain is likely on top of what some folks have already picked up. so, for example, in houston they have seen more than two feet of rain. they could double that amount by the time the storm system is all said and done. some spots could pick up an isolated 50 inches of rain. flooding and rising water is also a big concern as we go throughout the next several days. more on harvey and our weather at home coming up in the full and exclusive accuweather forecast. >> still hard to believe. my goodness, thank you, melissa. we will continue to follow the historic flooding in texas and efforts from our area to help the many, many people victimized. you can see the latest on air and online including the red cross donation information on

6abc.com. we have a special section dedicated to the latest information on harvey as it continues to inundate texas. you will find broadcasts from abc13 in houston, photos and video from the flood zones. ways you can donate to the relief and much, much more. it's all right there on 6abc.com/harvey. moving on to a developing story along the northeast extension. nearly eight hours from the lanes closed in bucks county. we're told the roadway is just reopened. christie ileto i'll is live near the landsdale exit with more. >> we know six people were in the car. two adults, four children. all ejected. and authorities just wrapped up trying to reconstruct the scene that accident. >> it was bumper to bumper, you know? people flying this way, flying that way, trying to get over. >> reporter: detoured after a backup spanned miles on the

northeast extension. authorities remained hard at work near mile marker 41. a car carrying two adults and four children lost control and ejected everyone inside sunday afternoon. some of those victims were air lifted to hospitals as authorities shut down parts of the major highway. stranding drivers in the northbound lanes. >> i guess we're two miles away from the accident that happened. and we have been here for three long hours. >> reporter: action news viewer alisa was one of hundreds that were part of the growing parking lot between landsdale and quakertown. >> right now we're driving southbound on the northbound side of 476. i believe penn d.o.t. traffic control came out here and started turning people around. >> yeah, seem like everybody's got to move around and, you know, go back the other way. >> reporter: by late sunday evening, authorities were able to clear the cars stuck behind the crash off the highway.

now tasked with trying to figure out what caused that driver of the car to lose control and crash. now, again, authorities have opened up all northbound lanes on 476. but what's not immediately clear are the extent of the injuries and the ages of the four children. live, christie ileto, channel 6, action news. walter. >> thank you, christie. police are looking for the suspect and the person who slashed 52 tires on police and fire vehicles in summerdale over in camden county. this is surveillance video of the suspect. the damage was discovered at about 1:30 this morning. suspect entered the lot at the police and municipal building on kennedy boulevard where he went on to do thousands of dollars worth of damage. anyone who recognizes that man is asked to call police. a father and son walking along the trail spotted a suspicious device tonight and called 911 in the graysbury section of philadelphia. near wharton street.

police and the bomb squad examined the item and blew it up. we're told there is a nearby training facility for bomb detection, and this device may have been left behind from a previous training exercise. much more to come, one by one, cars in two neighborhoods in philadelphia were seriously damaged after a driver suspected of dui lost control. tonight he's facing a whole bunch of charges. also, a group of kids hit the hardwood with a real pro in chester. and walter, clouds around for the rest of tonight. highs today in the 70s. right now comfortable in the 60s. more details on the weather and clouds moving our way later this week. details in the full and exclusive forecast. >> and talking about the sixers chances for a shot at championship when action news comes right back.

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injured after being struck by a car on broad street in north philadelphia. president man was crossing the street in the middle of a block near susquehanna avenue and hit shortly before 1 which can this morning. the vehicle did stop and the we're told the driver is cooperating with police. ! the camden county police department investigating an attempted murder and asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect. he's suspected of stabbing a man last night at about 6:30 in the evening in the area of lewis and shea streets. described as a black male who is bald. standing five feet, eight inches tall with a multi-colored t-shirt, blue jeans and black and white nike sneakers. a dozen enemy in philadelphia and oxford circle woke up to a mangled mess. a driver suspects of dui is responsible. jer jericho has details. >> reporter: yolanda woke up and assessed the damage to her suv. skid marks and busted car parts show the path of an out of

control driver around 3 a.m. he struck 27 cars, witness say, just riding on three tires. >> we were coming home. walked up to the car and this driver, smoke everywhere, was coming. he turned. we almost got hit. >> reporter: a surveillance camera shows the tail end of the mile long rampage. hits a parked vehicle and catches fire and keeps going. >> his car would only drive sideways. hit every car. >> reporter: elizabeth says the owners of some of the cars he had previously hit were following close behind. >> the cars were chasing him. while he was going sideways down the block. so when he turned into the other driveway, he took off then. >> reporter: the suspect ditched his suv and ran. police nabbed him several blocks away. now woodbury and two dozen

others are left to calculate the damage. >> getting ready to dress for church. but i'll be calling the insurance company. >> glad no one got hit by this gentleman and they caught him. >> reporter: a lot of damage, but fortunately, no injuries. police arrested a 38-year-old man. charged with number of offenses, including driving under the influence. one person was injured this evening during a multity-vehicle crash in atlanta county. happen when had a car and a pickup truck collided near estelle manor. person injured was take ton a local hospital. no word on their condition. the road was shut down, but has been reopened. three people ended up in the hospital after a serious crash this afternoon in center city, philadelphia. the force of the collision at 13th and lombard streets flipped the vehicle on to its side. those injured were rushed to the hospital. but there's no word tonight about their conditions. also no word why the driver lost

control in the first place. a freelance journalist from the delaware valley has been killed in south sudan. christopher allen who grew up in lower marion and graduated from the university of pennsylvania was apparently caught in the cross fire between government troops and rebels in the town of kaya. allen belonged to the war zone freelance project. allen had covered several major stories around the world, including the military conflict in ukraine.

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for only $24.90 more per month. our lowest price ever on this offer. but only for a limited time. call today. comcast business. built for business. a truly harrowing few days for so many people in texas. hundreds of people rescued by helicopter courtesy of the coast guard, customs and border protection and the texas department of public safety. some had first responders to help them up, but a mother and child rode the basket alone. held on tight and made to safety. all in all, there have been nearly 3,000 people rescued by air and by water. around here, just beautiful conditions. it's just amazing the contrast between here and down there.

>> absolutely. i mean, heavy soaking, unprecedented flooding there in texas. and right here across the delaware and lehigh valleys, dry and quiet. we have changes on the way. outside, sky 6 live in hd. looking at the ben franklin bridge on this sunday night. it's comfortable, quiet. and pretty cool. and in fact sky 6 live in hd, looking from the temple university camera at the center city skyline, quiet across that region as well. look at the millions, another nice day on tap tomorrow. but watching a system offshore that has the potential of becoming a tropical cyclone or a tropical depression. just off the coast of the carolinas. we'll get into that. but because of that, the clouds return into tuesday. and an update on tropical storm harvey. so as we look at our weather conditions over the past three days. nice and beautiful in the weekend. high of 79. yesterday's high, 81. today, maxed out at 79 in

philadelphia. well below the average of 84. it is cool in millvale. 60 degrees. 61 in lancaster. 66 in philadelphia right now at the coast in cape may, 69. up in allentown, the lehigh valley also in the lower 60s. satellite 6 along with action radar, showing a few high, thin clouds scattered around the region. what we are tracking it an area of low pressure off the coast of georgia and also off the coast of the carolinas. so this has the potential within the next day or so of becoming a tropical cyclone or a tropical depression. if it becomes a tropical system, it would have been called irma. whether or not this happens, this will slowly move to the north. and because of it, you could already see the clouds starting to build as far north as the cape. so the clouds on the increase later tomorrow night into tuesday. for the rest of tonight, though, partly cloudy, cool. open up want windows again. drop down to 54 in the suburbs

and 62 in philadelphia. sun to increasing clouds with the system off to the south. otherwise it's another pleasant day. 77 in philadelphia and reading and lancaster. cape may, 72. and thomas river, 74. by 1130, and tuesday afternoon, light showers and sprinkles there in south jersey. also into delaware with the storm system that mainly stays offshore. but some of those out bands move into our region. taking a look at tropical storm harvey. winds at 40 miles per hour. slowly jogging to the south and east at 3 miles per hour. that's why we're still dealing with that rain for areas in houston where some spots have already picked up more than two feet of rain. when this is all said and done, some locations could find isolated areas of 50 inches of rain. so over the next five days, this is the moisture that we will be tracking, spanning eastward into

alexandria, lake charles and new orleans, louisiana. back at home, the exclusive accuweather seven day forecast. sun to increasing clouds tomorrow. high temperature in at 78 degrees. then on tuesday, a mostly cloudy day, a few showers likely south of the city and south jersey. into delaware. also, a high of 74. then in the wake of that on wednesday, turning sunny. 78 for the high. thursday, warmer with sun. in at 83. pleasant by friday. high, 77. next weekend on saturday, sunshine and clouds sharing the sky. high of 78. and sunday, partly sunny, high temperature at 78 degrees. so another pleasant start tomorrow, walter. but then tracking clouds tomorrow night. and harvey into the week. >>st it's unofficially fall. >> really nice >> you can find the seven day draft and a live look at storm tracker 6 double scan radar on our website. go to 6abc.com/weather.

in smyrna, a ride to honor heroes and their families. the end of watch memorial ride rode out from the harley davidson dealership to the park. honoring fire fighters, ems crew members, law enforcement officials and members of the military who died over the past year. all proceeds go to the families of those heroes.

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