/ AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski
Las autoridades de Texas (EE.UU.) elevaron hoy la cifra provisional de fallecidos por el paso del huracán Harvey a al menos ocho, seis de ellos en los alrededores de Houston, donde continúan las lluvias y miles de personas esperan aún a ser rescatadas.
El huracán Harvey, el más poderoso en golpear Estados Unidos desde 2005, podría seguir provocando inundaciones “extremadamente graves” a pesar de haber sido rebajado a tormenta tropical, según informó hoy el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (NWS).
El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional informó en su web de las cinco muertes en el área de Houston, la cuarta ciudad más grande de EEUU con una población de dos millones de personas y donde las autoridades temen que las lluvias torrenciales desborden los ríos que atraviesan la urbe.
Una persona falleció tras quedar atrapada en el incendio de su casa durante la tormenta en la región de Rockport, declaró a la prensa un alto responsable del condado de Aransas, en la costa texana, que también dio un balance de 12 heridos leves.
Y en Houston, una mujer se ahogó al salir de su coche en una zona inundada, indicó la prensa local citando a la policía. Las autoridades de esa ciudad pidieron a sus 2,3 millones de habitantes que permanecieran en sus casas.
Harvey dejó a su paso carreteras sumergidas, casas sin tejado, carteles de señalización y líneas eléctricas arrancados… En Port Aransas, desertado por sus habitantes, unos barcos fueron a parar en medio de las calles.
Hobby International, uno de los dos aeropuertos de Houston, anunció que todos los vuelos fueron cancelados “a causa de la abundancia de agua en las pistas”, mientras que el George Bush International operaba en forma limitada.
“Se están produciendo súbitas inundaciones, catastróficas, con amenaza de vida”, advirtió el Servicio meteorológico nacional (NWS) en Twitter. “Es una situación EXTREMADAMENTE PELIGROSA! No viaje a menos que que se le diga”.
“INUNDACIONES CATASTRÓFICAS CON AMENAZA DE VIDA EN EL SE(sureste de) TEXAS”, enfatizó luego.
El NWS emitió más de una decena de advertencias de tornado durante la noche para el sureste de Texas, incluidas varias en el área de Houston.
– “Necesitaremos años para recuperarnos” –
“Necesitaremos años para recuperarnos de este desastre”, dijo el responsable de la agencia federal de situaciones de emergencia Brock Long.
Tras tocar tierra el viernes por la noche como huracán de categoría 4 –sobre una escala de 5–, el huracán fue degradado a tormenta tropical con vientos de hasta 110 km/h, según el Centro Nacional de Huracanes (NHC). Pero su lento avance, a unos 2 km/h, la convierte en un fenómeno muy peligroso, ya que las lluvias caerán sobre las mismas regiones durante cuatro o cinco días.
“Hay inundaciones extremadamente graves”, avisó el NHC. Según el centro de huracanes, las lluvias podrían alcanzar los 1000 mm en algunos lugares de aquí al jueves, provocando “inundaciones catastróficas y potencialmente mortales”.
El presidente Donald Trump declaró la noche del viernes el estado de catástrofe natural para liberar fondos federales con los que actuar ante los daños causados por Harvey.
– ‘Estaba aterrado’ –
La mayoría de vecinos de Corpus Christi –donde viven 325.000 personas– siguieron las recomendaciones oficiales y abandonaron sus viviendas para resguardarse.
“Nunca he visto algo así. Aquí hay vientos fuertes, estamos cerca de la bahía, pero nada que ver con lo de anoche”, contó a la AFP Brandon González, propietario de un comercio. “Estaba aterrado. Nuestro edificio tembló constantemente”.
“Comercios y casas quedaron completamente destruidas y, seguramente, un gran número de vías se vieron afectadas de manera importante”, precisó el alcalde de Rockport, C.J. Wax, a la cadena de televisión MSNBC.
El gobernador tejano, Greg Abbott, aseguró que en algunas zonas cayeron 500 mm de agua. “Nuestra prioridad son las graves inundaciones” que se pueden registrar, explicó a la prensa. Por ahora varias localidades han sufrido “daños muy importantes”.
Las compañías eléctricas informaron que 230.000 abonados seguían sin servicio en la noche del sábado.
Muchos residentes de Texas, donde viven unos 25 millones de habitantes, se dirigieron a la ciudad de San Antonio, donde el departamento de bomberos habilitó albergues temporales.
– Katrina, en la memoria –
A pesar de las adversas condiciones climáticas, la Guardia Costera logró rescatar por aire a 20 marineros y un perro cuyas embarcaciones quedaron atrapadas en medio de Harvey.
Trump, que no quiere repetir la tardía reacción del presidente George W. Bush con el huracán Katrina en 2005, informó que está siguiendo de cerca los acontecimientos desde Camp David, en Maryland (este).
En un tuit celebró que los gobiernos locales, estatal y federal “trabajan bien juntos” para afrontar el paso de la tormenta.
Harvey se ha convertido en su primer gran reto doméstico desde que llegó a la Casa Blanca en enero. La semana que viene tiene previsto visitar Texas.
En la costa texana se concentra casi un tercio de la actividad refinadora de petróleo de Estados Unidos y el Golfo de México representa 20% de la producción del país.
Según un reporte del sábado, 112 plataformas han sido evacuadas, que representan 24,5% de la producción diaria de crudo y 26% de la de gas.
Harvey ha revivido el trauma del huracán Katrina, que causó graves inundaciones y la muerte de 1.800 personas cuando azotó en 2005 a Nueva Orleans (sur), en el vecino estado de Luisiana.
La actuación de las autoridades fue muy polémica. Bush fue acusado de indiferencia ante la suerte de los habitantes de una región muy desfavorecida y mayoritariamente negra.
AFP
![People look out from a seawall to the Gulf of Mexico as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a deadly trail of devastation Saturday in Texas, as officials warned of "catastrophic" flooding and said that recovering from the most powerful storm to hit the United States in more than a decade could take years. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / ?The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?](https://mcdtm.awsvpni.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/000_RV4VQ.jpg?w=640)
![People look out from a seawall to the Gulf of Mexico as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a deadly trail of devastation Saturday in Texas, as officials warned of "catastrophic" flooding and said that recovering from the most powerful storm to hit the United States in more than a decade could take years. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / ?The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?](https://mcdtm.awsvpni.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/000_RV4VR.jpg?w=640)
![People look out from a bar to the Gulf of Mexico as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a deadly trail of devastation Saturday in Texas, as officials warned of "catastrophic" flooding and said that recovering from the most powerful storm to hit the United States in more than a decade could take years. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / ?The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?](https://mcdtm.awsvpni.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/000_RV4VS.jpg?w=640)
![A passerby tries to pickup a fallen McDonalds logo as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a deadly trail of devastation Saturday in Texas, as officials warned of "catastrophic" flooding and said that recovering from the most powerful storm to hit the United States in more than a decade could take years. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / ?The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?](https://mcdtm.awsvpni.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/000_RV4VT.jpg?w=640)
Hurricane Harvey stalled over central Texas on Saturday, August 26, 2017, raising fears of “catastrophic” flooding after the megastorm — the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 — left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. The latest forecasts show that Harvey, now downgraded to tropical storm status, will hover along the shore for the next four or five days, dumping massive amounts of rain.
/ AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski
Hurricane Harvey stalled over central Texas on Saturday, August 26, 2017, raising fears of “catastrophic” flooding after the megastorm — the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 — left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. The latest forecasts show that Harvey, now downgraded to tropical storm status, will hover along the shore for the next four or five days, dumping massive amounts of rain.
/ AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski
Hurricane Harvey stalled over central Texas on Saturday, August 26, 2017, raising fears of “catastrophic” flooding after the megastorm — the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 — left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. The latest forecasts show that Harvey, now downgraded to tropical storm status, will hover along the shore for the next four or five days, dumping massive amounts of rain.
/ AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski
![A boy plays in a flooded street as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a trail of devastation Saturday after the most powerful storm to hit the US mainland in over a decade slammed into Texas, destroying homes, severing power supplies and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / ?The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?](https://mcdtm.awsvpni.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/000_RV43R-1.jpg?w=640)
![Vehicles drive through a flooded street as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a trail of devastation Saturday after the most powerful storm to hit the US mainland in over a decade slammed into Texas, destroying homes, severing power supplies and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / ?The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?](https://mcdtm.awsvpni.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/000_RV43T-1.jpg?w=640)