30 photos capture Harvey's harrowing scenes of destruction in Texas
Over the course of five-day period from Aug. 25 to Aug. 29, 2017, Hurricane Harvey submerged southeastern Texas in an unrelenting torrent of water.
After blasting the coastline and leaving wreckage in towns such as Port Aransas and Rockport, the storm moved inland, and while it weakened, it also stalled, causing it to produce a devastating amount of rain in one of the highest populated areas of the U.S. Gulf coast.
In some locations the amount of rain that fell was unprecedented and was measured in feet rather than inches. Throughout recorded history, no tropical cyclone in the United States had ever produced an amount of rain as high as the 60.58 inches of rain that fell in Nederland, Texas.
Many profound images were produced during and after the storm that captured some of the most visceral moments of Harvey's wrath.
Harvey was the first major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) to strike the U.S. since Wilma in October 2005 and the first hurricane to make landfall in Texas since Ike in 2008. The deadly storm claimed 68 lives, while another 35 deaths were indirectly attributed to the storm. Its damage was catastrophic. The $125 billion in damage it left behind is second all-time only to Hurricane Katrina's $160 billion (after adjusting for inflation).
The scope of the storm impacted millions. Hundreds of thousands of homes were flooded and many were left uninhabitable. Major highways around Houston were shut down for days. About 336,000 customers lost power during Harvey.
Floodwaters surround homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
While the storm's destruction and loss of life was a tragedy, in the aftermath of the storm, tales of heroism and widespread volunteerism to help those in need became more prevalent.
Whether it was the efforts of the Louisiana Cajun Navy, mattress store owner Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, NFL superstar J.J. Watt, or many other unknown heroic civilian volunteers, recovery efforts began quickly to help the people of southeastern Texas overcome this disaster.
