First Run News

NEW ORLEANS — Several of Nance Harding’s clients were acting oddly last week. Ms.

NEW ORLEANS — Several of Nance Harding’s clients were acting oddly last week. Ms.

HOUSTON — For years, much of the nation’s refinery capacity and chemical production have been concentrated along the swamps and narrow inlets of the Gulf of Mexico, risking devastation in a monster storm. The pounding being endured by coastal Texas will probably be the biggest test of that risk so far, and energy experts say it raises questions about the area’s role as a hub for such crucial and environmentally sensitive industries. “The hurricane did what terrorists could only dream of and take a third of U.S. refinery capacity off line for days on end,” said Michael E.

HOUSTON — This has been a harrowing year for the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who have put down stakes in Houston. Stepped-up enforcement of immigration measures put many on edge over deportations, while Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed one of the nation’s most punitive laws against cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

HOUSTON — The men from East Texas had just boarded their boat here, when there was a sudden jarring bump underneath. “Fire hydrant,” explained Cody Cullum, 33, with a weary shrug. The men were riding down an urban sea off Beltway 8, in the dark. It was long after midnight on Tuesday in this residential section on the outskirts of Houston, and under the surface of floodwaters the color of coffee and cream lay the now invisible hallmarks of city life — gutters, sidewalks, front steps and mailboxes.

A large and complicated rescue operation is underway in Houston as floodwaters continue to rise, fed by unrelenting rain. So far, there’s no end in sight. As a tropical storm, Harvey is expected to produce 6 to 12 more inches of rain through Friday over the upper Texas coast, where some areas — including the Houston metropolitan area — may see accumulations of up to 50 inches. If you’re outside the affected area, here are options to help.

No one has a clear idea of how many people across southeast Texas are missing, how many have evacuated, or how many are trapped in their waterlogged homes. If you live in an area affected by the storm and you are in a safe place, we would like to hear about what is happening in your area, and about your experience in dealing with federal, state and local agencies. If you are in a safe place, please email us at hurricane@nytimes.com. A reporter or editor from The Times may contact you to hear more abou

Overwhelmed by the news from Texas and Louisiana since Hurricane Harvey made landfall?

WASHINGTON — President Trump traveled to storm-brushed Corpus Christi, Tex., on Tuesday to survey some of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Harvey and demonstrate his personal commitment to a region still in the grips of a historic natural disaster. Mr. Trump, who pushed aides to schedule a trip to Texas as early as possible after Harvey made landfall there on Friday night, settled on visiting Corpus Christi because it was the closest he could get to the hardest-hit areas without disrupting recovery efforts, according to state officials.

Emergency workers rescued many more soaked and frightened people in southeast Texas on Tuesday as floodwaters continued to rise and officials counseled patience, warning that conditions would not improve soon. The slow-moving, record-shattering tropical storm Harvey battered the region for a sixth straight day and began to move into southwest Louisiana.