BY THE NUMBERS: Hurricane Harvey hits 6 million Texans with 30+ inches of rain

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Saturday, September 2, 2017
Hurricane Harvey by the numbers
Hurricane Harvey by the numbersHurricane Harvey has wrecked havoc since it first made landfall on Aug. 25, creating a crisis in Southeast Texas and leaving behind a devastating flood in Houston. Here's a look at the numbers so far:

HOUSTON -- Hurricane Harvey has wrecked havoc since it first made landfall on Aug. 25, creating a crisis in Southeast Texas and leaving behind a devastating flood in Houston. The final death toll has not yet been determined.

Here's a look at Harvey by the numbers so far:

THE STORM

3 landfalls: Harvey made landfall not once but three times. First it hit Texas near Corpus Christi on Friday. It inched through Texas before eventually returning to the Gulf Coast. On Wednesday, it made a second and third landfall in western Louisiana.

56 years: The last time a storm was stronger when it made landfall in Texas was in 1961, when Hurricane Carla also made landfall as a Category 4. Hurricane Carla was one of the strongest storms of the 20th century and killed dozens of people.

THE FLOOD

20 trillion gallons: Harvey dumped 20 trillion gallons of rain on Houston alone. According to ABC News, that's enough to supply water to New York City for five years.

51.88 inches: Harvey lingered in Houston and the surrounding area for days, dumping feet of rain in most places. Cedar Bayou's preliminary total was 51.88 inches. This sets a record for tropical cyclone rainfall in the continental U.S.

6 million Texans: The area where the most rain was dumped is densely populated. It's estimated that 6 million Texans were impacted by 30 inches or more of rain.

185,149 homes: According to the latest estimate from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, 185,149 homes were either damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey and the resulting flooding. That number is expected to rise.

THE RESCUE

More than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area, and an estimated 42,399 people were in shelters in Texas as of Friday.

1.9 million: As part of FEMA's relief efforts, more than 1.9 million meals have been distributed in Texas.

THE RECOVERY

$125 billion: Estimates predict the damage in destruction and lost output could reach $125 billion. By comparison, Katrina's damage was about $110 billion. Surpassing Katrina would make Harvey the costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

Fundraising totals for the Red Cross and other organizations continue to climb. Of note is JJ Watt's personal fundraiser, which has raised over $15 million and counting, as well as Disney-ABC's Day of Giving, which has raised more than $14 million.

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