this article will rise to near seventy nine feet .
in texas , the official death toll surpassed 30 on wednesday and was expected to climb as authorities investigated several other deaths to determine whether they were storm - related .
beaumont and port arthur , texas , struggled with rising water as the area was pounded with what remained of the weakening storm , while houston 's fire department said it would begin a block - by - block search thursday of thousands of flooded homes .
( ap photo lm otero ) ( associated press ) houston , texas chemical plant early thursday and the threat of major flooding further east near the texas - louisiana line as harvey 's floodwaters began receding in the houston area after five days of torrential rain .
harvey is about to release its dead after their van sank into greens bayou on ... ( associated press ) houston .
assistant fire as tropical storm harvey continues to deluge homes and sweep vehicles off roads in texas and louisiana , at least 38 deaths have been reported .
east texas county tells residents ' get out or die ! '
there was mali the puppy , his mother recalled , a tabby he called blu and a tibetan spaniel named coco .