Death Toll From Hurricane Harvey in Texas Rises to 30 - Reports

Death toll and major flooding in the wake of the disastrous hurricane Harvey in the southern US state of Texas has risen to 30, reported the New York Times, citing the state’s authorities on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Hurricane-related deaths of at least 15 people had been previously reported.

"I expect that number to be significantly higher once the roads become passable," Erin Barnhart, chief medical examiner for Galveston County, said as quoted by the newspaper.

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on Saturday and was downgraded from hurricane to a tropical storm by the US National Hurricane Center later on the same day. The storm affected mainly southeastern Texas, including the city of Houston, in addition to southwestern Louisiana. Harvey is the largest storm to hit the United States since the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina in 2005.