Agent groups and insurers continued today to wrestle with the mammoth impact of Hurricane Harvey on areas in Texas and Louisiana on and near the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and Health Agents for America are two groups that are now starting to talk about their response to the storm.
Harvey Continues to Threaten the Gulf Coast
Harvey's winds began to smash Texas communities like Rockport and Bay City starting Friday.
Since then, massive of flooding has turned many of the roads in and around Houston into temporary rivers, or lakes. Although parts of Houston started to drain today, and some stores began to reopen, problems with a reservoir and a levee caused floodwaters to rise two stories or higher in other parts of the city.
Now, Harvey is attacking Baton Rouge, La., and nearby communities. National Weather Service forecasters say the storm could lead to a storm surge and heavy rain there.
The official death toll stood at 14 today. Officials were not yet saying how many deaths they think the storm has caused. Rescue crews are still rescuing people affected by the flooding from their rooftops. Some people in Houston have been waiting to be rescued for so long that they have put up tents on their roofs. The storm may has damaged hundreds of thousands and forced tens of thousands of people to move into shelters, or into friends', relatives' or neighbors' homes.
Agent Groups' Response
Kevin Mayeux, the chief executive officer of NAIFA, which is based in Falls Church, Virginia, put out a letter telling the group's members that the "thoughts and prayers of the entire NAIFA family are with our friends and colleagues affected by Hurricane Harvey."
NAIFA has also given members links to five charities they can use to make contributions to Harvey recovery efforts.
HAFA, which is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, put a message to members in its email newsletter for member agents. HAFA is offering members, their families and members' clients its prayers, and it also hopes to offer some hands-on help.