For those of you who have not yet heard, Hurricane Harvey pounded Houston, TX this weekend.  The city has ordered evacuation, as the torrential rain forecast is not showing signs of slowing down until later in the week.  In a matter of 24 hours the hurricane, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, dumped over 12 inches of rain on Houston and the surrounding suburbs.  Some areas are expecting over 50 inches of rainfall by the end of the week.  

How interesting the timing of Hurricane Harvey -- it makes landfall only a few days after the removal of "change" from all climate change articles on our government websites. Though there are many arguments and heated debates about the extreme weather patterns and their connection to climate change, it cannot be argued that we are seeing a significant impact around the United States and the rest of the globe, due to storms like Hurricane Harvey.  This particular hurricane is the strongest to have hit our country in 13 years, and the worst Texas has seen since 1961.  Take a look at some of the images below that provide a glimpse into what Houston is experiencing, and read further to understand how you can contribute to disaster relief efforts.

via SFGATE:

Brock Long, FEMA's administrator, said the agency is still focused on saving lives in Houston and along the Gulf Coast, where Harvey hit hard days ago as a Category 4 hurricane and then lingered, sending bands of heavy rain toward the city. He estimated up to 30,000 people may need shelter and some 450,000 could be eligible for federal flood victim assistance."This is a landmark event, we have not seen an event like this," Long said. "You could not dream this forecast up. The bottom line is that it's going to continue," he added.

Nikki Hathaway, a NWS meteorologist, said the 2 to 5 inches forecast locally for Monday might not sound like a lot, but "it is a lot when the ground is already saturated."

The Federal Trade Commission suggested on its site, it is perhaps best to avoid any new or young charities because even if "they are legitimate, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people."

To give specifically to the Red Cross simply text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10. The charges will then appear on your next phone billing cycle.

There are a number of other organizations in Texas that can use your donation help, including the Houston Food Bank, Food Bank of Corpus Christi, Houston Humane Society, Houston SPCA, or San Antonio Humane Society.

To apply for disaster assistance, visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA.