WASHINGTON _ Federal officials are cautioning that the mission post-Harvey is "very much still a life-saving, live-sustaining response," even as the recovery has begun in some damaged areas of the Texas coast.
Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday reiterated that it's an "all-hands-on-deck" situation in many parts of Texas. And senior Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said on Tuesday that support for Gov. Greg Abbott and others on the ground will "continue to evolve."
"What you are seeing is that the locals, the state and federal resources that are in support of Gov. Abbott's team haven't let up, in terms of pushing more and more resources into the state," a senior FEMA official said on a conference call with reporters.
As flooding continues in Houston and other areas, federal officials continue to have a hard time putting the storm in historical context.
A senior FEMA official said that "it's always tough to compare disasters." But the official said that the continuing rain is making it "really difficult" for local responders to get to certain areas and get good assessments of the damage.
"What we've see unfold in this event is a bit different than what we typically see unfold in other hurricanes," the official said.
