The sparring between state and local officials over Hurricane Harvey evacuation plans has confused residents in the storm’s path and shown that there’s no foolproof option for weather disasters of this magnitude. Harvey has claimed at least five lives in the Houston metro area since making landfall in Texas on Friday, according to the National Weather Service, and the situation is expected to worsen. It became clear on Sunday that Harvey’s impact would be even worse than anticipated. As flooding records shattered throughout Harris County, the National Weather Service said it expected “catastrophic and life-threatening” rainfall in some areas to total 50 inches, the highest level ever recorded in Texas. But at a Sunday morning press conference, Turner stood by his decision not to issue an evacuation order.

Source: Huffington Post August 27, 2017 23:26 UTC