Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday said around-the-clock rescue efforts have helped minimize the loss of life associated with Hurricane Harvey thus far, but urged residents to stay safe and keep off flooded roads as officials caution that the death toll could soon rise.
“We are very concerned about the number of lives that may have been lost,” Mr. Abbott said on CNN. “But…the loss of life has been minimized in part because of the massive rescue mission.”
“But remember this: some lives have been lost by people in vehicles who were trying to escape the water, which is really one of the most common ways that people lose their lives in flooding,” he said.
“So we continue to urge people to stay off of the roads. Please do not drive around any water in the Harris County area, because you’re putting your life in danger and you’re getting in the way of first responders,” he said.
Authorities have confirmed several deaths resulting from the storm, though one Houston woman said Monday that she thought six members of a family, including four of her grandchildren, died after their can sank into Greens Bayou in East Houston.
“We know in these kind of events that, sadly, the death toll goes up historically,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. “I’m really worried about how many bodies we’re going to find.”
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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