BEAUMONT, Texas _ President Donald Trump offered words of encouragement Friday as rescue workers, emergency officials and residents across the region coped with the massive floodwaters left behind by Tropical Storm Harvey.
"Texas is healing fast thanks to all of the great men & women who have been working so hard," Trump tweeted. "But still, so much to do. Will be back tomorrow!"
While parts of Kentucky were projected to receive more than four inches of rain from Harvey's remnants over the next 24 hours, the worst of the storm was over, and skies were clear over much of Texas.
Many rivers along the state's coastal plains, however, remained at major or record-high flood stages, which are projected to last for days, and waters remained high in many parts of Texas and western Louisiana.
About 70 percent of Harris County's 1,777 square miles was covered with 1.5 feet of water at some point after the deluge, flooding about 136,000 buildings, according to county officials.
Government offices in Beaumont remained closed after the region was hit with floods, costing the city its water supply and cutting off access to medical services such as dialysis and forcing hospital patients to evacuate.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of the Rebuild Texas Fund with a $36-million pledge from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The aim was to raise $100 million over Labor Day weekend to support recovery efforts.
West of Houston, the city of Rosenberg announced that its shelters would be closing as the waters moved on.
