
The mayor of Houston has issued a new mandatory evacuation for inundated homes ahead of a power cut-off and a release of water from the city's reservoirs.

Mayor Sylvester Turner urged the people of West Houston to put their safety first and to flee the area on Saturday, before a planned water release that will continue to keep floods high in about 4,000 homes.

Turner, who didn't evacuate the nation's fourth largest city before Harvey's waters took hold, told the hundreds of people who remained in the flooded area to think of responders who would risk their lives to save them.

The rest of the city is beginning the long clean up of what the catastrophic storm left in its wake, tossing their ruined belongings on the curb to be taken away after 5ft of water devastated much of Houston.

President Trump and Melania returned to the Lone Star State on Saturday, visiting with some of the thousands of people who were left homeless by the storm.

During the president's visit, Turner said he asked Trump to help in providing transitional housing for those displaced and for federal funds to help with the monstrous cost to rebuild the city.

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The city of Houston issued a new mandatory evacuation for inundated homes in West Houston on Saturday ahead of a release of water from the city's reservoirs and a power cut-off on Sunday

The people of West Houston were urged to put their safety first and to flee the area before the water release will continue to keep floods high in about 4,000 homes

Turner (pictured), who didn't evacuate the nation's fourth largest city before Harvey's waters took hold, told the hundreds of people who remained in the flooded area to think of responders who would risk their lives to save them

President Trump and Melania returned to the Lone Star State on Saturday, visiting with some of the thousands who were left homeless by the storm. The pair handed out food to a line of evacuees and took pictures with some fans who had lined up

Erlind Trigo and her niece Miriam weep as they look at family photographs which they salvaged from their home in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston on Saturday

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas, on Saturday where residents are now going through the painstaking and devastating chore of tossing out their ruined belongings

Eventually, the rain stopped and the storm moved on to Beaumont, Lake Charles and Port Arthur. Those areas are still at the mercy of the floods. Pictured: Residents hang out in front of homes which are surrounded by floodwater in Orange, Texas

Trump and Melania flew to Houston on Saturday morning for their second trip to Texas since Hurricane Harvey ravaged the state.

Their first stop was the NRG Stadium in Houston, where thousands are evacuating after being forced out of their homes by the devastating floods brought by Harvey earlier in the week.

Together they gave out Red Cross meal boxes, shook hands and took selfies with some of the thousands who are being forced to take shelter.

President Trump was jovial and upbeat, kissing the heads of babies and holding hands with little boys who strode up to him for a hug. Before taking their places to give out food, the notoriously germaphobic president proclaimed 'my hands are too big' as he struggled his fingers in to a pair of latex gloves.

Melania, who received criticism for the glamorous outfit she chose to travel to Texas in earlier in the week, was defiant with her wardrobe choices on Saturday.

She first emerged from the White House in a $1,590 Ralph Lauren dress and $650 pair of Manolo Blahnik heels before changing on board Air Force One into a denim shirt, jeans and sneakers.

After spending time with evacuees at the stadium, the pair went on to a church in Pearland where Trump heaped praise on Texas governor Greg Abbott and congratulated him on doing a 'terrific job' since Harvey hit.

The president was particularly taken with the children taking shelter at the evacuation center, paying special attention to them as he made his way around

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, Louisiana, following a visit with those helping with the impacted of Hurricane Harvey on Saturday

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner after arriving at Ellington Field to meet with flood survivors and volunteers who assisted in relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump posted on Twitter about their trip to Texas on Saturday. Trump shared a video, writing: 'Together, we will prevail in the GREAT state of Texas. We love you! GOD BLESS TEXAS & GOD BLESS THE USA'

Aerial photo taken on Friday shows flooded houses after Hurricane Harvey attacked Houston, Texas, the United States.Hurricane Harvey aftermath, Houston, Texas

Meanwhile, the rest of the city was somber as the heartbreaking reality of Hurricane Harvey set in for Texans who have returned home to find all of their belongings destroyed by the storm.

House by house, they tossed their ruined belongings in to the street to be taken away. Where just days ago lay up to 5ft of water now stand rows of battered furniture, clothes and precious personal items, all of which have been taken to pieces.

Footage of just a few streets in Dickinson, a suburb in southwest Houston with around 18,000 residents, paint a devastating picture. It is among the worst affected areas of the city.

Eventually, the rain stopped and the storm moved on to Beaumont, Lake Charles and Port Arthur. Those areas are still at the mercy of the floods.

In Beaumont, the failure of water plants has left the entire city without clean, running water. They are still relying on bottled water and cannot bathe.

There are also fears the nearby Netches river, which swelled under heavy rainfall, could lead to yet more flooding.

Ernesto Guerra, 33, left, and Sabine Wiegand, 55, right, help move furniture out of Patricia Wiegand's home in Bayside, Texas

Paul England, Jr. helps Michael Brown, not pictured, move bedroom furniture floating in his flooded home, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, in Port Arthur, Texas on Saturday

Michael Brown steps through floating debris as he searches his flooded home for belongings

Leanna Patrick (L) and Rena Brannon hang out at a Rena's home which surrounded by floodwater after torrential rains pounded Southeast Texas following Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey

To pile on to their trauma of residents who have already been forced to flee their homes, many now face the daunting prospect of battling with insurance companies to replace their belongings.

More than 400,000 households have already applied for FEMA aid and tens of millions of dollars have been doled out to them.

The issue of receiving private insurance claims is separate and is sure to be more complex.

Some residents started filing their complaints before the rain had even stopped because they were so eager to get to the front of the line, insurance experts in Houston told NPR.

'They filed claims before they evacuated. So they actually have no idea if there's damage or not. They just wanted to be at the front end of the curve,' Joel Moore, an independent insurance adjuster, said.

Only around 20 per cent of the homes in areas which were hit by Harvey have flood insurance, the Consumer Federation of America estimated this week.

More than 400,000 households have already applied for FEMA aid and tens of millions of dollars have been doled out to them

Some residents started filing their complaints before the rain had even stopped because they were so eager to get to the front of the line, insurance experts in Houston said

These are the scenes in Dickinson, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Residents who have returned home by the floods it created must now go through the painstaking task of throwing out their damaged belongings and wait for them to be collected

FEMA will be collecting the damaged property of residents whose homes were affected by the floods. Above, one home in Lakewood Forest in northwest Houston

Another pile of destroyed belongings in Lakewood Forest, Texas, where many homes were affected by the floods. The area is now dry

Juan Banda removes damaged goods from a home in Houston on September 2. Residents are helping each other with the clean up from the devastating hurricane

Tibisay Vegas cleans out her car in Houston, Texas, on Saturday after returning home after the floods

The damage inside Dwight Chandler's house in Highlands, Texas. The water level rose to chest height, ruining his walls, floors and furniture

Joseph Boutte gives a remarkable smile as he surveys the damage in his home in Houston on Saturday

Texas strong: Behind the piles of damage, residents hung Texas flags on their garage doors

A church volunteer works to remove Hurricane Harvey flood damage from a home in Houston

It leaves an enormous amount of people stuck with the cost of replacing and fixing their homes.

There had been concerns that a change in insurance laws which was due to come in to place last week, in the middle of the hurricane, would also make it more difficult for people to claim back money.

Governor Abbott assured Texans that this was not the case last week as he gave updates on the storm.

Part of the insurance claims process will see smaller, catastrophe specialists tour homes in affected regions to determine the claims.

The experts sit idle for most of their careers until a natural disaster strikes. Then, they work long days touring the homes of those affected and are sternly warned by bosses to be sympathetic.

'How would you feel if you were in the same situation? You need to slow down, shut up, let them vent, let them cry, tell them you're sorry, and if you're not sorry you need to get out of the business,' Moore said.

There are other fears that inexperienced insurance brokers may not have put together the right plans for those who do have policies before the storm hit, meaning a simple mistake in the paperwork may render some of policies useless.

It was an issue which hampered thousands of claims after Hurricane Sandy. FEMA eventually reopened thousands of those claims and dished out money as a result.

'There's much stronger awareness that FEMA has made, and much stronger points that FEMA has made with insurance companies to try and ensure that the consumer's treated appropriately and fairly,' Don Griffin of the Property Casualty Insurers Association said.

Quinceanera pictures are dried out on the hood of a car as a house is cleaned out after it had been inundated with water after torrential rains caused widespread flooding during Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey

In other areas of Texas including Port Arthur, the flood water remains. Above a woman moves through the water on Friday

Marine veterans Chris Miller (L) and Megan Lowry with the Wounded Veterans of Oklahoma rescue a horse from floodwater

A home in Houston over the weekend where residents have begun tossing out their trashed belongings