Hurricane Harvey made landfall late Friday along the south Texas coast east of Corpus Christi, damaging buildings and threatening the lives of those who chose to ride out the powerful storm.
The hurricane made landfall as a Category 4 storm around 10 p.m. Friday near Rockport, a town of fewer than 10,000 people about 30 miles up the Texas coast from Corpus Christi, and that's where the first reports of damage began to emerge.
Rockport City manager Kevin Carruth said multiple people were taken to the county's jail for assessment and treatment after the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed. KIII-TV reports that 10 people have been treated there.
Carruth also said that Rockport's historic downtown area has seen extensive damage. A part of Rockport-Fulton High School has caved in. There have been several reports of trees and power lines down across the area.
About 128 people were evacuated from a Fairfield Inn in Rockport after the hotel suffered severe damage, according to a National Weather Service report.
Rockport Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Sims said there are about 15 firefighters at the Rockport fire station waiting for conditions to improve enough for their vehicles to safely respond to pleas for help.
"There's nothing we can do at this moment. We are anxious to get out there and make assessments, but we're hunkered down for now," Sims said.
In Corpus Christi, the major city closest to the center of the storm, officials issued boil water order Friday night.
"To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes," the order states. "The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes."
The city's airport was closed and will not likely open until Monday.
