Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said this morning on “Good Morning America” that he expects the damage incurred in the state as a result of Hurricane Harvey to be “horrific” when the storm finally subsides, leaving behind a mess that will “take years” to rebuild.
“First we had the hurricane-style damage, the horrific winds that mowed down so many buildings and local facilities where the hurricane crossed inland all the way up to the Victoria area,” Abbott told GMA. “Second then, of course, there’s the horrific flooding in the Houston area.”
Abbott suggested that people expecting a quick recovery from the storm should exercise patience.
“This is going to take years for us to be able to build out the repairs that are going to be needed to overcome this flooding and hurricane disaster,” he said.
ABC News meteorologists expect up to 50 inches of rain to accumulate in the southeastern part of Texas by Wednesday as a result of the storm, which has killed at least three and left countless others stranded, in dire need of rescue.
Last night, Abbott announced that an additional 1,000 National Guard troops will be dispatched to Houston today to help cope with the catastrophic weather event.
His announcement brought the total number of deployed national and state guard service members to more than 4,000, as officials continue to devote resources toward rescue and recovery missions in flooded areas across the state.
On GMA, Abbott said that 115 more boats and 300 more high water vehicles would be added in a addition to those troops.
“Our top priority is protecting lives and getting those people to safety,” Abbott said of the people who are still waiting to be rescued.
Abbott called the flood “the worst we’ve ever seen in the state of Texas” and an “unprecedented” weather event, echoing the word used by the National Weather Service yesterday.
He added that he was proud of how Texans came together to help each other.
“You have to be proud to see the way our fellow Texans have responded,” Abbott said, “whether they be the first responders or just neighbors helping neighbors to deal with this overwhelming catastrophe.”
ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy contributed to this report.
