Trump waited in Texas and Louisiana to meet flood-affected people

AFP

AFP

Friday, 1 September 2017 22:04

UPDATE
Friday, 1 September 2017 22:13

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HOUSTON | Donald Trump is expected Saturday in Houston (Texas) and Lake Charles (Louisiana) for a visit to the affected areas where hundreds of thousands of people are returning gradually into the homes damaged by the storm Harvey.

The american president will be able to see the extent of the damage, estimated to be between 30 and 100 billion dollars.

The storm which is now largely dissipated, leaving in its place a “tropical depression,” according to the national hurricane Center, has left at least 42 dead.

Those who were able to return to their homes were faced with the challenge of finding their abandoned house for several days, where a muddy water is mounted up to the window level, or above.

The cars, that is so crucial in America, were often good for the case, after having been flooded up to the roof.

Returning Friday to her home in Port Arthur, Tobias James has found the two sedans parked in his garage completely flooded, including a Dodge that was brand new.

“The insurance on one of my two cars has expired a few days ago”, lamented it, while consoling to know all of his living relatives.

This man, 37 years old, employed in a refinery, said to be not about to forget his evacuation by helicopter winching: “for the First time in my life that I was flying in the air. I’ve never been so high”.

Fire at chemical factory

But tens of thousands of people are still accommodated in reception centres emergency.

The slow pace of the recession prohibits any return to their homes.

A new fire was also sparked on Friday by the end of the day in the chemical plant Arkema of which were flames and thick black smoke and potentially dangerous.

“It’s a reaction that we expected. The measures have already been taken, the area was evacuated and no one is on site,” said an employee of the plant contacted by the AFP.

In total, nine containers containing approximately 225 tons of organic peroxide can be found on the website.

The president of Arkema United States, Richard Rowe, said during a Friday press conference that new fires were inevitable and that these containers should catch fire in the coming days”.

A Rockport, in the south-west of the metropolis of Houston, schools remained closed, electricity shut off, of the houses investigated were promised to destruction.

Others were no more than a pile of debris.

Back to life

In contrast, in Houston, the signs of a return to the normal life multiplied: power has been restored, recovery of transportation networks, extensive cleaning operations in progress.

The team featured local baseball, the Houston Astros, announced that she would be well operational in the city for his professional matches scheduled on Saturday and Sunday against the New York Mets.

“This is going to be emotional,” predicted the coach of the Astros, A. J. Hinch. “We can imagine the importance of being at home before being prevented from returning home”.

“Texas is on the road to recovery fast thanks to all the men and remarkable women who have worked so hard. But so much remains to be done”, tweeted Friday, Donald Trump.

The White House will call on Congress, the unlocking of approximately $ 5.9 billion in emergency assistance to help victims of the storm Harvey.

More than 100 000 households have been affected by the disaster, according to the executive american.

The mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, has called Friday the residents of areas flooded, near two tanks, leave the area, which could remain up to two weeks under water.

A handful of residents of 15 000 and 20 000 houses built near reservoirs, Addicks and Barker refuse to see the calls to evacuate, even if the area is flooded by releases of water from the retention basins overflowing.

The federal Agency on emergency situations (FEMA) said Friday it has rescued more than 4500 people and 200 pets.

The return to normal will take years, warned Friday, Greg Abbott, the republican governor of Texas.

“People should understand that this is not a short-term project. This is going to be a program on years for Texas to emerge from this catastrophe”, has warned the elected.