Harvey Aftermath: Lull in rain in Houston area expected to be short-lived

Lake Charles rescue personnel help residents exit from the back of a vehicle late Monday night, Aug. 28, 2017, in Lake Charles, La., after flooding from Harvey's almost constant rain over the last two days overcame the city's drainage system, flooding several subdivisions and necessitating home rescues. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) less Lake Charles rescue personnel help residents exit from the back of a vehicle late Monday night, Aug. 28, 2017, in Lake Charles, La., after flooding from Harvey's almost constant rain over the last two days ... more Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, STF Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, STF Image 1 of / 125 Caption Close Harvey Aftermath: Lull in rain in Houston area expected to be short-lived 1 / 125 Back to Gallery

The local forecast for Houston area this morning calls for 2 to 5 inches of rain, which sounds pretty darn good after doomsday-ish estimates of days past.

But don't get used to it, federal officials warned Monday morning.

"We're in a lull right now," said Dr. Louis Uccellini, director of the NWS, "but will get back into moderate to heavy rains today and into tomorrow."

"The peak flow and depth of this flood will max out in the Wednesday-Thursday time frame," he said.

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After days of sporadic but heavy downpoars, the Houston region already has "catastrophic" flooding that is spreading north and west, Ucellini said at an early morning press conference in Washington D.C. along with FEMA and other federal officials.

Emergency crews have rescued thousands since Saturday night, as record-break rains inundated the city and surrounding suburbs, sending some people scrambling to their rooftops and begging for rescues. Unofficial tallies put the number of deaths at 6, though locally authorities said they expect to find bodies after the waters recede.

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Brock Long, FEMA's administrator, said the agency is still focused on saving lives in Houston and along the Gulf Coast, where Harvey hit hard days ago as a Category 4 hurricane and then lingered, sending bands of heavy rain toward the city. He estimated up to 30,000 people may need shelter and some 450,000 could be eligible for federal flood victim assistance.

"This is a landmark event," he said, after making a plea for help from the public.

"We have not seen an event like this," Long said. "You could not dream this forecast up."

"The bottom line is that it's going to continue," he added.

Nikki Hathaway, a NWS meteorologist, said the 2 to 5 inches forecast locally for Monday might not sound like a lot, but "it is a lot when the ground is already saturated."

"We just can't handle anymore," she said.

To help, Long said, go to www.nvoad.org. To apply for disaster assistance, visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA.