>>> WE'RE LIVE HERE IN HOUSTON WHERE HARVEY'S RAINS KEEP
COMING, THE WATERS KEEP RISING, AND ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE, THE CITY IS FACING AN UNPRECEDENTED FLOOD
EVENT. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE IN NEED
OF RESCUE, INCLUDING THESE ELDERLY RESIDENTS AT THIS
NURSING HOME IN DICKINSON, 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HOUSTON, WHO
HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED OUT OF WAIST-DEEP WATER.
SO FAR HARVEY HAS CLAIMED TWO LIVES BUT OFFICIALS WARN THE
DEATH TOLL COULD RISE. IT'S ESTIMATED THE STORM HAS
AFFECTED A QUARTER OF THE POPULATION OF TEXAS, OR ALMOST 7
MILLION PEOPLE. WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING HARVEY'S
PATH OF DESTRUCTION SINCE LATE LAST WEEK.
WE HAVE NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
WE WANT TO START WITH JACOB RASCON, THIS IS HIS HOMETOWN.
JACOB, GOOD EVENING. >> Reporter: GOOD EVENING.
EARLIER YOU CALLED IT A CITY OF ISLANDS.
I THINK THAT WAS A GREAT WAY TO DESCRIBE IT.
IT RAINS AND STORMS SO MUCH HERE ALL THE TIME BUT NEVER QUITE
LIKE THIS. THERE SO MANY BAYOUS AND
CREEKS AND RIVERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THEY CAN HANDLE IT, BUT NOT TWO FEET AND THEN ANOTHER TWO FEET.
THIS AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
THIS AREA DURING HURRICANE RITA AND TROPICAL STORM ALISON
FLOODED MERE INCHES. THIS TIME IT FLOODED MORE THAN
TEN FEET. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF HOMES BACK
THERE THAT ARE FLOODED. AND AS YOU SAID AND AS THE VIDEO
SHOWS, IN THE MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS
AREA, SO MANY OF THEM ARE AFFECTED AND CANNOT MOVE.
THE CITY IS PARALYZED, IN A WAY. SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED.
THE AIRPORTS ARE CLOSED. HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN FLOODED.
IT'S REALLY A PRECARIOUS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
IT'S DAY TWO IN WHAT WILL BE A FIVE DAY OR SO DISASTER.
LESTER? >> ALL RIGHT, JACOB RASCON,
TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP RETURNED TO THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY AFTER A
WEEKEND AT CAMP DAVID. HE PLANS TO TRAVEL TO TEXAS ON
TUESDAY TO TOUR THE DEVASTATION. THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN PRAISING
THE STATE AND FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HARVEY ON TWITTER.
GADI SCHWARTZ IS IN DICKINSON WHERE NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN
REACHING OUT AND RESCUING EACH OTHER.
GADI? >> Reporter: GOOD EVENING.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN DICKINSON. YOU SEE THESE ARE BOATS RIGHT
HERE THAT ARE BRINGING PEOPLE BACK.
YOU GUYS ALL RIGHT? >> PLEASE HELP US.
>> Reporter: WERE YOU GUYS OVER IN ONE OF THOSE HOMES?
>> YES. >> Reporter: WOW.
HOW HIGH WAS THE WATER? >> CHEST DEEP.
>> Reporter: JEEZ. I'M SO GLAD YOU GUYS ARE OKAY.
>> WE LOST OUR CARS. >> Reporter: I'M SO SORRY.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS BRINGING THEM HERE TO BASICALLY WHAT'S
BECOME SOMETHING OF AN ELLIS ISLAND, IF YOU WILL.
IT'S HIGH GROUND, IT'S WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND BE REUNITED
WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. THESE ARE PEOPLE WAITING FOR
THEIR FAMILY. THERE ARE SOME RESCUE CREWS OVER
IN THE DISTANCE. THERE ARE MORE RESCUE CREWS THAT
CONTINUE TO GO OUT. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED
ABOUT THE WEATHER, WORRIED ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS STILL STUCK
THERE. EVERYBODY LOOKING AT THAT
FORECAST KNOWS MORE RAIN IS ON THE WAY.
BACK TO YOU. >> SOME REMARKABLE SCENES AROUND
HERE. GADI SCHWARTZ, THANK YOU.
WE'RE NOW BEGINNING TO SEE HELICOPTER RESCUES HERE IN
HOUSTON, EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE ASKING HERE IS, WHY WASN'T THERE
A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER FOR THE CITY, WHICH MAY BE FACING A
NEW THREAT IN THE DAYS AHEAD? HERE WITH MORE ON ALL THAT IS
STEPHANIE GOSK IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON.
>> Reporter: LESTER, WE HAVE SOME IMPORTANT NEWS TONIGHT FROM
THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. THEY MANAGE AND CONTROL THE TWO
MAJOR DAMS IN HOUSTON. THEY HE WILL US TONIGHT THERE
HAS BEEN SO MUCH WATER SO QUICKLY, THEY WILL HAVE TO DO
CONTROLLED RELEASES OVERNIGHT OF THOSE DAMS.
ONE DAM AT 2:00 A.M., THE BARKER DAM AT 11:00 A.M.
THIS WATER GOES THROUGH A BAYOU THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CENTER OF
TOWN. TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE,
THESE DAMS WERE BUILT IN 1945. THEY HAVE NEVER IN THE HISTORY
OF THE DAMS EVER HAD TO RELEASE WATER DURING AN EVENT LIKE THIS.
WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SAFETY MANAGER ON TOP OF THE DAM ON
SATURDAY MORNING, HE SAID THEIR INTENTION WAS TO KEEP THOSE
GATES CLOSED THE ENTIRE TIME. WE'RE NOW BEING TOLD THEY HAVE
TO OPEN THEM. LESTER?
>> ALL RIGHT, STEPHANIE GOSK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO WHAT'S THE FORECAST FOR HOUSTON AND TEXAS IN THE COMING
WEEK? NBC NEWS METEOROLOGIST DYLAN
DREYER JOINS ME. THE HURRICANE TWO DAYS PAST,
NORMALLY YOU WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT RECOVERY.
WE'RE STILL VERY MUCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS.
>> AND WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL DAYS TO GO.
THE THING WITH TROPICAL DOWNPOURS IS THEY COME AND GO,
BUT WHEN THEY COME, THEY CAN PRODUCE ONE TO THREE INCHES OF
RAIN AT ONE TIME. SOMETIMES HERE THEY'VE FALLEN AT
RATES OF FOUR TO SIX INCHES PER HOUR.
RIGHT NOW THE STORM IS MOVING, IT'S FINALLY ON THE MOVE.
BUT TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO FUEL DOWNPOURS.
THIS WHOLE PART OF SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA WILL SEE
MORE AND MORE RAIN. WE COULD END UP WITH AN
ADDITIONAL 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN ON TOP OF THE 25 INCHES ON
THE GROUND, PUTTING STORM TOTALS UP AROUND 50 INCHES.
THEN THE RIVER FLOODING IS A CONCERN ALL THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
>> WHEN I WAS DRIVING UP THROUGH CORPUS CHRISTI ON THE OUTSIDE OF
TOWN, THERE WERE TORNADO
WARNINGS. WAS THAT ASSOCIATED WITH THE
BACK SIDE OF THE STORM? >> IT'S THE ENERGY IN THE
SYSTEM, WE STILL HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES ON TOP
OF EVERYTHING ELSE. >> THAT'S GOING TO DO IT FOR
NOW. WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE ALL
NIGHT LONG ON THE FLOODING HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND DYLAN AND I WILL BE BACK TOMORROW MORNING ON THE "TODAY"
SHOW.