Extraordinary photos of survival in Houston

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Weather & Natural Disasters

Extraordinary photos of survival in Houston

Residential neighborhoods near the Interstate 10 sit in floodwater in the wake of Hurricane Harvey on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
Marcus Yam | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

Five days after Harvey came ashore near Corpus Christi, Texas, record-setting rainfall in Houston continues to push floodwaters higher and higher.

Hurricane Harvey turned interstate highways into rivers and put numerous subdivisions around Houston under half a dozen feet or more of water. The most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, Harvey lingered along the Gulf Coast, drenching the region with a year's worth of rain in the span of a week.

These photos give an intimate look at the current efforts to rescue residents and shelter evacuees.

  • Houston suburbs under immense amounts of floodwater

    Two reservoirs near Houston surpassed record levels Tuesday, flooding nearby suburban homes. While the Addicks Reservoir breached the top of its emergency spillway and began flowing uncontrolled, the water levels have not reached the 109.5 foot level that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston Col. Lars Zetterstrom said would cause "larger flows of water" to go around the ends of the dam.

    A house sits completely submerged in flood water in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 29, 2017.
    Marcus Yam | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

  • More than 4,000 people rescued by emergency responders

    Texans by the tens of thousands are evacuating flooded neighborhoods, often with the assistance of more than 12,000 National Guard members. Police and volunteers continue to provide support, helping rescue residents from the high water.

    Police and volunteers rescue residents flooded by the San Jacinto river in Kingwood, Texas.
    The Washington Post | Getty Images

  • Texas Army National Guard members Sergio Esquivel, left, and Ernest Barmore carry 81-year-old Ramona Bennett after she and other residents were rescued from their Pine Forest Village neighborhood due to high water from Hurricane Harvey August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • Dump trucks helping evacuations

    Harris County officials asked for high-water vehicles and boats to help rescue workers and dozens arrived in many forms to provide assistance.

    Rescue workers and volunteers help residents make their way out of a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water following Hurricane Harvey on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • Tragedy has become an unavoidable reality among evacuees

    Here an evacuee holding two dogs reacts after his rescue by Texas National Guardsmen, after severe flooding forced him out of Cypress Creek in Houston.

    An evacuee holding two dogs reacts after his rescue by Texas National Guardsmen from severe flooding due to Hurricane Harvey in Cypress Creek, Houston, August 28, 2017.
    Capt. Martha Nigrelle | U.S. Army National Guard | Reuters

  • Some residents remain hunkered down in flooded homes

    Some residents, such as Matthew Koser, here in his grandfather's Bear Creek home, waited out the storm even as floodwaters rose. State officials said Wednesday morning that close to 49,000 homes had suffered flood damage, with more than 1,000 destroyed.

    Matthew Koser looks for important papers and heirlooms inside his grandfather's house after it was flooded by heavy rains from Hurricane Harvey August 29, 2017 in the Bear Creek neighborhood of west Houston, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • Evacuation centers overcrowded as water levels continue to rise

    Locations such as the George R. Brown Convention Center were at or beyond capacity after flood waters from Hurricane Harvey inundated the city.

    People take shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center after flood waters from Hurricane Harvey inundated the city on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • Donations continue to add up for Harvey emergency aid

    Support for the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and other groups continues to pour in as organizations and celebrities lead fundraising campaigns for Houston's evacuees.

    Madison Hairston searches for items for her children two-year-olds Justice and Jack at an evacuation shelter after their neighborhood was flooded with rain water following Hurricane Harvey on August 29, 2017 in Channelview, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • At least 20 companies, such as Apple, Walmart and Verizon, have donated $1 million or more to Houston relief efforts.

    Shannie Lipsie relaxes in the Channelview High School gym which has been turned in to an evacuation shelter for victims of flooding following Hurricane Harvey on August 29, 2017 in Channelview, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • Families find solace in safety

    Mark Ocosta and his baby Aubrey Ocosta take shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center after flood waters from Hurricane Harvey inundated the city on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
    Getty Images

  • Maria Lopez plays with her son Rafael Lopez, 3, in the warehouse at Gallery Furniture where they have been staying after evacuating their flooded home over the weekend, in Houston, Texas, August 29, 2017.
    Nick Oxford | Reuters

  • Recovery bringing Houston's rebuilding into view

    The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday afternoon said a record 51.88 inches of rain had fallen in Texas due to Harvey, a record for the continental United States. Plans to rebuild the fourth most populous city in the U.S. are beginning to form as the water recedes and recovery continues.

    A aerial view of downtown on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
    Marcus Yam | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

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