Texas residents brace for Hurricane Harvey, the first major storm to hit US mainland in a decade

[caption id=“attachment_3977285” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] Hurricane Harvey, the first major storm to hit the US mainland in 12 years, slammed into the Texas coast late on Friday, unleashing torrents of rain and packing powerful winds. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977331” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] Rain blows past palm trees as Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday. The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) warned of likely “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” due to the massive rainfall forecast and the huge storm surge, which could reach 13 feet (nearly four meters) in some places. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977317” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] A traffic signal topped by winds of Hurricane Harvey lies at an intersection in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm roared ashore at the town of Rockport — near Corpus Christi, a major US oil industry hub — packing sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (215 kilometers per hour), a Category Four hurricane on the five-level storm scale. It was later downgraded to Category One. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977337” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] Paramedics visited people’s homes to transport disabled residents on Friday. President Donald Trump accepted Texas governor Greg Abbott’s request to declare a “major disaster zone” in the state to speed up federal aid to millions in harm’s way. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977349” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] A Valero oil refinery’s flare continues to burn as Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Corpus Christi on Friday. The powerful storm has forced thousands to flee their homes and crippled oil production in the Gulf. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977357” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] A man rests while waiting to board a bus headed for San Antonio at an evacuation center in Corpus Christi. Hundreds of the area’s residents boarded buses on Friday to be transported to a shelter in San Antonio as Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast on Friday night. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977369” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] In Corpus Christi, many residents appeared bent on sitting the storm out, packing sandbags to protect their homes - until the supply of sandbags ran out. As the storm struck city officials urged residents to boil tap water as a precautionary measure. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977377” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] Supermarket aisles were stripped bare, as people boarded up supplies in their houses. Hurricane Harvey could dump up to 40 inches (more than one meter) of rain on the area over the next few days and cause billions of dollars in damage. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977379” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] Shoppers stood in long queues for last-minute supplies at H-E-B Plus on Saratoga Boulevard just minutes before it closed and Hurricane Harvey hit the coast on Friday. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3977385” align=“alignleft” width=“940”] Texas governor Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference about Hurricane Harvey at the State Operations Center in Austin, Texas, on Friday. Abbot deployed more than 1,000 national guardsmen to help with evacuation and recovery. AP[/caption]