HOUSTON – Five years ago, Texas began dealing with one of the worst weather disasters in its history.
On Aug. 25, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Southeast Texas -- but that was just the beginning of a major disaster.
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Harvey stalled over the region for the next five days, resulting in catastrophic flooding in the Houston metropolitan area.
Some areas of Houston received over 50 inches of rainfall, with widespread reports of 20-40 inches of rain across much of the metro area.
The flooding was beyond anything Houston had ever seen before.
Widespread flooding of homes and highways was reported, including the major interstates.
The storm surge from Harvey did not allow the rainfall in Houston to drain into the Gulf of Mexico, producing long-lasting flooding.
At one point, an estimated 25%-30% of Harris County was submerged by floodwaters. Almost 70% of all rivers and streams in Southeast Texas saw major flooding.
And it wasn’t just the Houston area that saw significant issues.
Harvey roared ashore as a Category 4 major hurricane in Rockport, south of Houston. The 130 mph winds resulted in significant structural damage in the Rockport area, including the county courthouse.
Over 20% of Rockport’s population was displaced by the storm.
Harvey finally moved back out into the Gulf and made a final landfall in western Louisiana on Aug. 29.
In Louisiana, Harvey produced significant flooding as well. Tornadoes were also reported in portions of the state.
The flooding in Texas and Louisiana was so extensive, many areas took years to fully rebuild and recover.
Harvey was the first of three major hurricanes to impact the United States in 2017.
Hurricane Irma would roll across much of Florida in early September, and Hurricane Maria would slam Puerto Rico in late September.