By Laura J. Nelson
Los Angeles Times
HOUSTON — As Tropical Storm Harvey continued to drench Texas Sunday, hundreds of Houston residents trapped by rising water in their homes encountered long waits and dropped calls on the region’s 911 emergency lines.
After officials reported that 911 lines were “at capacity,” some residents turned to Twitter and Facebook, breaking with typical Internet privacy standards to share their home addresses, hoping for a quicker rescue.
One woman in Houston begged someone to help her aging parents, trapped in waist-high water in their home in the Meyerland neighborhood. A man said he had moved to his attic, and water was rising. Other users reported families with children in danger of drowning.
A woman in southeast Houston shared a photo of floodwater rising in her home, saying: “I really need rescue, and no numbers are working.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city had received more than 2,000 calls to 911 by Sunday morning. He urged residents who were not in life-threatening situations to hold their calls.
“If you’re stranded in your vehicle, but you are in a safe place, or a dry place, let’s give preference to those who are in a situation in their home where water is rising very quickly,” Turner said at a news conference. “I ask that you continue to call. We are manning 911. But a lot of calls have come in.”
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales said on Twitter that 911 dispatchers had missed some calls “due to volume,” and were calling those numbers back. Callers who needed immediate help should contact the U.S. Coast Guard, officials said.
Emergency responders also sent out pleas on social media to residents who own boats and high-water vehicles, asking them to contact fire officials to help with rescues in flooded neighborhoods.
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