Here’s everything you need to know about Harvey today

Tropical Storm Harvey may be on its way out of Texas, but the state — particularly Houston — has a long road to recovery ahead.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Tuesday evening that he was issuing a mandatory midnight to 5 a.m. curfew on the city “to prevent potential criminal acts.” But many Texans are still worried about what lies ahead.

According to a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather, experts predict Harvey may be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, with a price tag of roughly $160 billion.

“This will be the worst natural disaster in American history. The economy’s impact, by the time its total destruction is completed, will approach $160 billion, which is similar to the combined effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy,” Dr. Joel N. Myers, founder, president and chairman of AccuWeather,said in a statement.

Here’s where things stand:

The death toll is continuing to rise

In the days following the storm, multiple deaths have been confirmed. According to the New York Times, since Friday, 30 people have been killed as a result of the storm.

• This morning, the Associated Press reported that authorities had found a shivering 18-month-old toddler clinging to the body of her drowned mother in Southeast Texas. Officials say the woman was trying to carry her daughter to safety when flood waters swept them both away. The toddler is now in stable condition at a Houston hospital.

Rainfall may be coming to a halt, but recovery efforts will be ongoing

There have been more than 50 inches of rain recorded over the past few days — but that may be stopping soon. Even if the rain does stop, the storm isn’t over. Rivers and bayous are continuing to rise and levees are at risk for breaches and failures.

“Parts of Houston, the United States’ fourth-largest city, will be uninhabitable for weeks and possibly months due to water damage, mold, disease-ridden water and all that will follow this 1,000-year flood,” Myers said.

Hurricane Harvey was previously described by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as “one of the worst disasters in Texas history.” Now, Harvey is showing signs of leaving the Texas coast and made landfall earlier this morning in southwest Louisiana. Even after the storm leaves Texas, however, Houston will have ways to go before its returns back to its normal state.

• Up to 30 percent of Harris County — which is home to 4.5 million people —  is underwater, ABC News tweeted this morning. They added that this is the equivalent of New York City and Chicago combined.

• Storm Front Weather tweeted this morning that Port Arthur and Beaumont are both facing catastrophic flooding. The National Weather Service has also issued flash flood warnings for Southeast Texas, Harris County, Jefferson County and Galveston County, among others. The NWS is keeping an updated list of counties under flash flood warning on its website.

• Homes worst hit by Harvey may wait months for power to come back, Bloomberg notes. Even after the city has finished repairing damaged power lines, electricians have to certify flooded homes before they’re able to reinstate service.

• It’s also likely that Houstonians will see their property values drop — even by as much as 60 percent — over the next few years.

Help is on the way

Several Texas officials have made statements letting Houstonians know that despite the heavy rains and severe casualties, there are several resources available to storm victims.

• On Tuesday evening, the Texas Supreme Court issued an order allowing out-of-state lawyers assist Harvey victims.

• This morning, the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management tweeted that it had received an overwhelming amount of support from people offering their boats for rescue. “Thx to them, we have all the assets we need,” the tweet read.
• The Houston Independent School district announced Wednesday it had received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture to give all HISD students free school meals during the 2017-18 school year. “The flooding that is affecting the city of Houston has been devastating for many. Some of the areas that are the hardest hit are filled with working parents whose limited funds will need to go toward recovery efforts,” Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza said in a statement. “This waiver will give our families one less concern as they begin the process of restoring their lives.”