Report: Harvey's 5-day rainfall in Texas unprecedented in US
A man waves down a rescue crew as he tries to leave the area after it was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
HOUSTON (AP) - A new report on the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey says the U.S. has never experienced the amount of rainfall across such a vast area as that brought by Harvey when it struck Texas.
The report released this week by the Harris County Flood Control District says more rain fell over a five-day period, and on such a broad area, than at any time since records have been kept.
The area extends roughly from Victoria in South Texas northeast to Houston and over to the Louisiana border.
The report relied on calculations done by Texas state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.
The report focused almost exclusively on Harris County, home to Houston, where rainfall amounts last August ranged from 26 to 47 inches (660 to 1194 millimeters). Some areas east of metro Houston saw an estimated 55 inches (1397 millimeters).