Their god given talents to edify their community. I thank the lord hes here to do that. Thanks for watching today. Rightthisminute. Com is all new every day. See you next time. And could really save you in outofpocket medical costs. Call now. With a Medicare Supplement plan, youll be able to stay with your doctor. Oh, you know, i love that guy. Mmhmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. And there are no networks. You do your pushups today . Prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] dont wait. Call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp Medicare Supplement plan to go the distance with you. Go long. A wildfire has for a wildfire has forced immediate evacuations about an hour outside seattle. It is called the Jolly Mountain fire and has burned more than eight square miles. Residents of 150 homes were told in imminent danger. A Lightning Strike triggered the fire more than three weeks ago. President trump is pitching his plan to overhaul the nations tax system. He spoke at a manufacturing plant in springfield, missouri, promising that his tax reforms would lead to Stronger Economic growth for companies as well as workers. He didnt offer any details, but with the Health Care Defeat still on his mind he tried to turn up the pressure on lawmakers. So this is on once in a Generation Opportunity to deliver real tax reform for every day, hardworking americans, and i am fully committed to working with congress to get this job done, and i dont want to be disappointed by congress, do you understand me . [cheers and applause] do you understand . Understand. Congress. I think congress is going to make a come back. I hope so. Tell you what. The United States is counting on it. [cheers and applause] after watching the speech, if you had congress in your drinking game, you would be wasted this morning. The president specifically took aim at claire mccaskill, you saw there, the democratic senator, he told the crowd if she doesnt vote to lower taxes, they should vote her out of congress. And arizona senator john mccain returns to capitol hill next week after being treated for brain cancer. The republican is set to lead a debate on a defense policy bill. Senator mccain has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy during the august recess. His office says the senator is looking forward to continuing his work for the people of arizona. The fda has approved a new way to fight cancer. It engineers the patients own cells and directs them to fight the cancer. Linzie janis has the details. Reporter a new frontier in the fight against cancer, for the first time, the fda approving an engineered genetic system that reprograms the patients own immune cells, sending them back into the body to destroy cancer. Most of these patients remain in remission years later. That makes us think maybe its a potential cure for some of our kids, and thats very exciting to us. Reporter 12 year old Emily Whitehead was the first child to receive the treatment developed by the university of pennsylvania. At the time her parents were told there was no hope. We were out of options, and we werent ready to quit fighting. Reporter in may, emilys doctors at the Childrens Hospital of philadelphia declaring her five years cancer free. Congratulations. Thank you. I think its really exciting. Because the treatment that i got, other kids will be able to have the same treatment and have the same outcome that i did. Reporter there are serious side effects, but the hope is one day this kind of therapy could be used to treat other cancers. It costs almost 500,000. But the drug company, novartis says it is looking for ways to make sure that the patients who need it get it. Linzie janis, abc news, new york. And nearly 500,000 Heart Patients with implanted pacemakers could be vulnerable to hackers. A voluntary recall has been made because of recently discovered security flaws. Patients will need to visit their doctors to get a firmware update. In order to prevent potential tampering with pacemaker settings. And american dads are getting older. The average age of the father of a newborn is 31, a jump of three and a half years from the past three decades. Researchers found the oldest dads were in the northeast, the youngest in the south. Well, when we come back, the every day heroes stepping up to help the victims of harvey. Thats next. Youre watching world news now. He victims of harvey. Thats next. Youre watching world news now. And you look amazing. Ly comfortable. When your vneck looks more like a uneck. Thats when you know its halfwashed. Add downy to keep your collars from stretching. Unlike detergent alone, downy conditions to smooth. And strengthen fibers. So, dont halfwash it. Downy and its done. Were getting in some new were getting in some new images of victims riding out that storm at shelters all over texas. But some victims are riding out the storm in style, thanks to a small Furniture Store chain that opened its doors, beds and couches to those in needs. Now were learning the owner didnt just stop there. Abcs matt gutman caught up with him. Reporter this is jim mcingvale, better known as mattress mack. Saves you money i am mattress mack, how can i help . Reporter a beloved local businessman with a texassized personality. And since 1981, hes owned the highend gallery Furniture Stores in houston. Soon after the winds started blowing, 66yearold mack went from selling to giving. We got lotting of beds, lots of food, lots of water. Reporter offering a free port in the storm. Mack had plenty of takers. He said a lucky few hundred came in on their own, others rescued by his own delivery trucks. We picked up about 200 people stranded on bridges, Convenience Stores, walking through the water with snakes and alligators. Reporter they all found shelter at macks two houston stores and warehouses where they could recover from their struggles on beds and couches with High Altitude price tags. We said the hell with profits. Lets take care of the people. Thats the right thing to do. Thats the way i was brought up. Reporter this has also become a crash pad for a National Guard company on break. These 12,000 beds quite the upgrade from their standard issue cots. And hes not concerned about any wear and tear. When they said gallery furniture, i said think got to be joking. Reporter this is carol. Shes here with her daughter and two grandsons, home for the past few days has been this living room display. You were also in katrina. I was also in katrina. I never thought going here we would experience the same thing, but we did. Reporter this time she was rescued by the Fire Department which brought her to macks place. He didnt have to do this. He made us so comfortable. When i left home i left home without some of my medications and medical equipment, and they supplied it. Reporter countless other businesses are also stepping up. Bakery workers here stuck at work stayed up all night, baking bread to feed First Responders. Restaurants, giving away free meals to rescuers as well. And even airbnb teaming up with their hosts to offer free rooms to evacuees. This is where we have all our dogs staying. Reporter and back here at macks place, doing everything they can to make their temporary guests more comfortable. Nearing his seventh decade, mack himself literally worked 24 hours straight, despite it all, his store, amazingly, is still open for business. You know, somebody said, are you all still a shelter or a Furniture Store. I said we can be both. Its not an either or proposition. Reporter and walking by those mattresses stacked high, we came across ruby hayes reaching out to mattress mack. Spent your 84th birthday here. She says harvey took everything from her. And right there, mack does Something Better than dry off her tears. Ill give you a mattress for your birthday, hows that . I got to give you a birthday present. Happy birthday. Nice to see you. Reporter a true testament to the spirit of texas. Ah, what a wonderful gift. A wonderful man for what hes doing there. And he did during katrina as well. Yeah, hes done this before. I also do love thats pointing out, were still open for business. You can still buy something. Matt gutman asked him, the furniture that the people are using, will you end up selling it . And he said sure, ill come up with some kind of schtick. He has built his storing on an elevated concrete bed so that they would be flood proof. Brilliant in knowing that houston, a large part of the city is in a floodplain. Yeah, he figured purposely, he could avoid the floods himself and provide shelter for those in need. One of the folks who was there at the shelter said its sort of like a Slumber Party on steroids. They also said that theyve accepted donations throughout, but now all they need is cleaning supplies. Lots of donations there. W all they need is cleaning supplies. Lots of donations there. Re. I love you, couch. You give us comfort. And we give you bare feet, backsweat, and gordos. Everything. I love you, but sometimes you stink. Soft surfaces trap odors. Febreze fabric refresher cleans them away for good. Because the things you love the most can stink. And plug in febreze to keep your whole room fresh for up to 45 days. Breathe happy with febreze. Clearasil rapid action begins working fast for clearly visible results in as little as 12 hours. But can ot fix this teens skateboarding mishap . Nope. So lets be clear clearasil works fast on teen acne, not so much on other teen things. Tand, our adulte children are here. So, we save by using tide. Which means we use less. Three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. Those are moms. Anybody seen my pants . Nothing cleans better. Put those on dad its got to be tide. Weve seen so many people opening their hearts, their home and their wallets to help those affected by harvey. Tune in today to good morning, america and join Robin Roberts for the telethon throughout the day. On abc, the network called free form as well as radio disney. They have a panel of celebrities fielding calls as well. Give them a ring, have a little chat, you never know who may pick up the phone. The guest list still a surprise, but we are being told and authorized to tell you there are some big names in sports, tv and actors and some singers youve probably heard of. Probably. There you go. Thats insider information. A few hints for you, and those are not the only celebrities stepping in of course to help in this effort. Weve been keeping an eye on j. J. Watt, plays for the Houston Texans and a huge force in trying to raise money. He originally laid out a goal of 200,000. Raised that in under two hours. A few days later he raised the goal to 6 million. Immediately reached that. Well, now j. J. Has increased his goal on the site to 10 million. Theyre already approaching that as well. And the goal, he said, theyve got semi Truck Drivers donating time and trucks, and all the money will go to the goods going into the trucks, generators, clothing, food, cleaning supplies, and theyre trying to make sure the money gets directly to the people who need it. The boys just returned to houston after doing practice somewhere else. So a lot of them got to see the damage close up yesterday. Theres a rapper in houston whos pretty popular down there called trae the truth. You see him on the left. And hes been doing some great work. Trae was rescued by a boat. After he got rescued, hes been going out by boat with a friends boat from san antonio, and rescuing people on his own. He actually rescued Orlando Magic basketball star and forward jonathan simmons. You see him there. Who just happened to show up and trae was there. Paying it forward. He got rescued himself. And decided now that im here, i might as well rescue a few others myself. And Miranda Lamberts foundation is focussing on animals. Weve seen lots of videos of pets stranded. Theyve been able to rescue 72 dogs. There are so many that have been stranded unfortunately. Dont miss our updates on wnnfans. Com. Includ good thursday morning. Im kendis gibson. Good thursday morning. Im kendis gibson. And im diane macedo. Here are the headlines were following on world news now. The death toll in texas is rising with harvey blamed for taking 30 lives. Thousands have been rescued, including residents of a nursing home in port arthur where at least 70 people were trapped. People in texas are beginning to return home. And begin the massive cleanup process. Debris includes everything from once prized possessions to soggy carpet and drywall. The city of houston resumes trash pickup today. The pentagon has revealed there are currently 11,000 u. S. Troops in afghanistan, about 3,000 more than initially reported. And that number is expected to grow to 15,000 in the next few months. And President Trump pushing to revamp the tax code, calling on congress. To approve cuts to bring back main street, he says and help small businesses. Those are some of our top stories on this thursday, august 31st. From abc news, this is world news now. Good morning, everyone. Were going to start this half hour with another round of heavy flooding in east texas, near the louisiana border. Forecasters say a downgraded harvey is poised to unleash at least another four to eight inches of rain today and tomorrow increasing the risk of more flooding before its over. And reservoirs are overflowing and were learning this morning that rising floodwaters knocked out the entire water supply for the city of beaumont, texas. 31 people in this storm are confirmed dead. That is expected to climb. And with the new flooding, thousands of marine and National Guard troops have been deployed. Gio benitez is outside beaumont. With new details. Reporter beaumont and port arthur, texas, flooded. Residents waking up to this. I10 completely under water. Cars submerged, and in some cases water reaching rooftops. Families in agony, waving white towels, signaling for help. In the last 24 hours, the storm tragically claiming two lives, 41yearold colette seltzer died, her 3yearold clinging to her, her little girl miraculously in stable condition. In port arthur, they rushed to this nursing home. More than 70 elderly patients in bedrooms and hallways. Workers gathering desperately needed oxygen tanks and medicine. Outside, local residents with their own boats taking them to safety. A military chopper later landing on the highway to airlift some out. City officials pleading for volunteers to come with boats to help with rescues. And we were there as so many stranded beaumont residents finally made it to dry land. How are you feeling right now . Scared. Dont know which way to go. Losing everything. Floating, floating, floating, floating. Reporter crystal dortch placing this plea on facebook from her living room, her three children huddle together on a table. The family rescued and safe. In nearby port arthur, even the shelters flooding. Enough is enough. We need help. Reporter people piling on bleachers. Trying to get to higher ground. They, too, are safe, as we met the every day neighbor saving so many lives. You are heroes, getting all these people out of there. Were not hero. There are a lot more people hero than us. Reporter this is truly the citizens armada. Were talking about every day people coming from all over the place. More of them coming in right now. And theyre not just coming from texas and louisiana. Theyre coming from nevada, oregon, north carolina, and i can tell you, they arent going home anytime soon. Thanks, gio. The department of defense is paying a role in that effort. 24,000 National Guard troops are deployed in south texas. 14,000 of them are from the lonestar state and 10,000 from other states. So far the guard has made 8500 rescues and evacuated 26,000 people. The marines, coast guard, navy and air force are pitching in. Theyre providing air support. More than 60 military aircraft along with two navy warships. People with boats are coming, even as far as north carolina, mobilized on social media, arriving at a staging area. Earlier in the week, the cajun navy arrived from louisiana. They have experienced some flooding in their own state of course last year. And they put those resources that they gathered at that time now to good use in texas well. The people of texas certainly appreciating all the help. More than 32,000 people are housed in emergency shelters. Hundreds of shelters are filling up with people in desperate need. An estimated 500 shelters now up and running. 500 shelters. Think about that. And that figure includes schools, businesses and churches. In the meantime, the red cross is bracing now for relief effort that will last weeks. They have 12,000 volunteers there on the ground, and hundreds more are on the way right now. And the harvey may have moved on, but its left behind another deadly danger. Authorities are on alert because of the growing risk of an explosion at a flooded Chemical Plant. It could happen at any hour. Abcs Clayton Sandell reports. Reporter crosby, texas is dealing with too much water and now the potential for fire or worse. The new danger coming from a flooded manufacturing plant, the ceo of arkema says he fears chemicals will catch fear or explode within six days. Adding there is no way to prevent it. In a statement, they describe the situation toe plant as serious. Dozens of homes are nearby. And everyone living within a one and a halfmile radius have been ordered to evacuate, their family, pets, whatever they can carry, leaving in school buses and military vehicles. The chemicals used to make things like hoses, foam cups and plastic pipes need to be kept cold, but more than 40 inches of rain knocked out electricity, killed backup generators and now threatens the remaining cold storage units. What is not clear is how big a fire or explosion might be and what impact it might have on people and the environment. Right now federal, state and local officials are watching closely. Clayton sandell, abc news, houston. Quite a scene there. And harvey has weakened to a tropical depression. Its still dumping heavy rain. And Justin Povick has the latest on the storms track. Thanks and good morning to you. Harvey Still Producing very heavy rainfall this morning. In fact, were talking about additional rainfall amounts here in that zone of 816 inches, running roughly from memphis northbound to paducah. We will be talking about more flooding as the system makes its move to the north and east. Thankfully, it is going to be moving at a quicker clip, but still a ton of moisture with it, so we are talking about big impacts from nashville, point north and east right into the tail end of the week. Kendis, diane . A big section of the country will get additional rain from harvey. And coming up, many of those desperate for essentials finding that prices for basics like water are soaring to astronomical levels. Remembering diana. See how her boys are carrying on her legacy. Youre watching world news now. Youre watching world news now. If youve got a life, you gotta swiffer whatits up to you, like with tampax pearl. Od . You get ultimate protection on your heaviest days, and smooth removal for your lightest. Tampax pearl. And pocket pearl, for on the go. Your toilet is germridden with mineral buildup. Clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach is no match against limescale. But lysol power toilet bowl cleaner has 10x more cleaning power against limescale. So switch to lysol. What it takes to protect. This clean was like pow everything well . My teeth are glowing. They are so white. Step 1 cleans. Step 2 whitens. Crest [hd]. 6x cleaning , 6x whitening a i would switch to crest [hd] over what i was using before. Nasa is tracking a large asteroid. Nasa is tracking a large asteroid. Florence is set to wiz by earth tomorrow. At nearly three miles wide, it is the largest in a century to fly past the planet. Scientists plan to study it using groundbased radar imaging. With such a sweet name, theres no need to fear. Florence, so sweet. Stay far away. Unless she has a machine. Florence and the machine. The u. S. Economy has picked up momentum, growing 3 in the second quarter. The revised gdp figure suggests the best quarterly showing in two years. The economy is continuing to grow at a robust pace in the second half of the year. The president mentioned the Economic Growth during his tax overhaul speech in missouri but says he thinks that could jump higher. A new alliance has emerged. As the russia investigation moves forward. According to politico, special Counsel Robert Mueller has teamed up with new yorks attorney general to investigate paul manafort. Theyre sharing information on manafort, including transactions in real estate deals. It may give mueller more leverage to get manafort to cooperate, because the president does not have power over state crimes. So far, manafort has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Home depot will pay nearly 6 million to settle claims that it sold recalled products. The items included washing machines and fire extinguishers. The products were sold between 2012 and 2016. As part of the settlement, home depot did not admit any guilt. And the Lottery Machine that produced that 758 million Powerball Ticket has been put out to pasture. I dont know how that works with Lottery Machines. The massachusetts lottery has retired that terminal. It was used for 20 years before spitting out the numbers for the largest jackpot ever won. By a single ticket holder. They may put the machine on display. Now the Lottery Machine gets to retire too. Who knew they did that. Lottery machines are like sea biscuit. Just hanging out in a grass field. Put out to stud. Lets get down to the soaring prices in the wake of harvey. Some businesses in texas are accused of hiking prices on some basic supplies, including beer. Yeah, it also includes case of water being sold for 99. Heres abcs matt gutman. Reporter texas tempers flaring, furious over markups on necessities, like this man selling water out of his truck, accused of marking up bottles by 500 . You ought to be ashamed of yourself reporter now in the middle of this massive crisis, the Texas Attorney general says hes already received over 600 reports of price gouging. Just check out one womans receipt from a Corpus ChristiConvenience Store. She says she was charged 65 for just two cases of beer at a raceway gas station. Think this is ridiculous . That theyre price gouging. Reporter then theres this photo of a case of water for sale at best buy for 42. Raceway says its investigating this incident, the manager saying it was a clerical error. And not price gouging, adding, we did give a full refund. Best buy also apologizing. Best buy says it doesnt even sell cases of water. This was a big mistake on the part of a few employees. As a company we are focussed on helping, not hurting affected people. Nearby, best western saying its severing any affiliation with its hotel in Corpus Christi refunding 40 guests after it was accused of tripling room rates. The hotel chain saying we do not tolerate this kind of egregious and unethical behavior. Weve seen water up to 99 for a case of water, fuel prices up to 20 a gallon, hotels jack prices up six, seven times. Reporter and officials now laying down the law. In texas, offenders can face fines of up to 20,000 per offense and up to 250,000 if the victim is 65 years old or older. Were looking at the price over the last three months, if you increase those prices by more than 10 , were going to look at it. Reporter but selling water for ridiculous prices is not the only kind of prove profiteering. Yesterday we were at a shelter, a man rolled in saying he has a semi truck that could take away the surplus donations but officials suspected he was trying to steal the donations in order to sell them. Matt gutman, abc news. I did like that. Water, no, flashlight . No, case of beer . There we go. She was okay with the 99 water. It was the beer. The many heroic rescues and emotional reunions. Including that couple that got rescued on a jet ski. Their story next. Including that couple that got rescued on a jet ski. Their story next. To keep hair strong against hot styling tools, you need more than a conditioner,. You need a miracle. Pantene 3 minute miracle daily conditioner. Has a super concentrated prov formula. That makes hair stronger in just 3 minutes. So your hair is smoother everyday. Pantene 3 minute miracle daily conditioner. Because strong is beautiful. Peleop everything they can to get through this storm, harvey. That man playing the piano inside a flooded home. What a scene. And weve also been showing you several scenes of amazing rescues. Now were seeing those rescues come full circle. Its actually kind of heartwarming to watch some of them. Heres rob marciano. Reporter long after the floodwaters recede, these are the images that will stay with us. To be able to get through the storm the way we did, and save so many lives is nothing short than remarkable. Reporter strangers risking life and limb, saving strangers. By any means available. Rafts, jet skis and canoes. A human chain delivering a pregnant woman to safety. Good samaritans, showing up to save the young. Hello hi. Hi. You want to go on a boat ride, kate . Can i pick you up and carry you . Yeah. Reporter and the old. Little premie was evacuated with other critically ill newborns from Corpus Christi. But as the waters rose, so did a makeshift citizens armada, propelled by both their fishing boats and need to get involved. Its a risky job. The waters teeming with everything from toxic chemicals to fire ants to gators. For hours, they scoured this area, saving family after family. Survivors climbing aboard, willing to leave their homes but not their beloved pets. Both the small kind and the not so small. This hawk sought shelter and found youtube fame in a taxi. He looks scared. He doesnt though whats going on. Reporter and of all the unusual rescues, its hard to surpass this one, karen and j. C. Spencer, grandparents in right through the front door on jet skis. Tell me how you ended up on a jet ski. We had to evacuate. We had to get out of there. So i called chick fil a. Now that sounds kind of funny, but i ordered two grilled chicken burritos with extra egg and a boat. I know you loaded your possessions on that boat and all of a sudden some jet skis showed up. Karen jumped on the back of a jet ski and i jumped on the back of another one. Reporter the human toll will likely rise as the waters recede, but so, too, will the joyous reunions like this one. That little baby, Lily Villalobos is back. Her parents meeting the plane carrying her home. Oh, man. I havent seen her, and just i mean, i love my little girl. I just hugged her and just seeing her made me so happy. Shes back, and im thankful for everyone that took care of her. Reporter the stetzers got to express their gratitude in person to those jet skiers who whisked them to safety. And remember ayesha, the mother who took to facebook for help . She had a reunion of her own. Hey oh, my god reporter a helpful reminder that while so many human possessions can wash away, human life remains precious, fragile and always worth saving. Look that. Ayesha will remember that. Did they get their two grilled chicken burritos . Thats a really, really, thats great, they got reunited with the guy on the jet ski, thats fantastic. What about the burrito . If theres a chicken burrito somewhere to waste, that would be a tragedy. Well be right back. Burrito somewhere to waisste, that woul be a tragedy. Well be right back. Hd51490. Hd51490. Hd51490. Hd5 im about to pop a cap of mmm fresh in that washer with unstopables inwash scent boosters by downy. Because this scent lasts up to 12 weeks, which is longer than any relationship ive ever been in. Freshness for weeks this is a scene outside kensington palace,ig this is a scene outside kensington palace, right now, in london, where a memorial for Princess Diana has formed, this on the 20th anniversary of her death. Her sons and princess kate visited a memorial garden. Hard to believe it was 20 years and how young diana was when she died, only 36 years old. And her death in paris while being chased by the paparazzi shocked the world. Heres a look at the News Coverage from that day. As the world reacted. There were a lot of people crowded around, great panic. I started to take care of the young lady in the back seat, Princess Diana. So i pulled her head back and put an oxygen mask on her face. We are today, a nation, in britain, in a state of shock. In mourning. In grief. It is deeply painful for us. She was such a caring person. And she loved so many people. She touched so many peoples hearts. Her kindness. Her generosity. She was just a very kind mummy. We couldnt get enough of her. She was wonderful. Because she was human. A light has gone out. It wont come back on again. Its going to be a terrible void in everybodys lives. All that she lived for, to live in us. It was a fairy story that everybody wanted to work. At the age of 19, you always think youre prepared for everything. And you think you have the knowledge of whats coming ahead. I will fight for my children. On any level, in order for them to be happy and have peace of mind to carry out their duties. She was the peoples princess. And thats how she will stay, how she will remain. In our hearts and in our memories. Forever. Her sons have spoken out quite a bit over the course of the past year, unveiling a lot more about their mother, and they said when this all happened they felt like it was a moment where they had a choice, either this was going to break them or make them. And it was the desire to carry on her legacy that kept them going. And they said one of the things for them was their last phone call, they hurried off the phone with their mom on that last phone call, and they wished they had known that would be the last, because they would not have done that. This morning on world news now, the widening scope of devastation in texas. Harvey is now moving inland after washing out more gulf coast communities. Thousands desperate to be rescued while volunteers flock to the region, trying to pitch in any way they can. Meanwhile, the recovery effort in houston is just starting. The scenes of tragedy now uncovered as floodwaters recede. See how residents are trying to pick up the pieces as we examine how the storm is being felt elsewhere. Conflicting messages . A key member of the president s cabinet says diplomacy is an option with north korea, but that directly contradicts with what the president says, so which is it . And making the most of a bad situation. Well see how families are making the best of living as evacuees and a special birthday boy do a little celebrating in the midst of the situation. Its thursday, august 31st. From abc news, this is world news now. Doesnt matter that theres a storm, birthdays continue. There are births that actually take place. Finding little bright spots in all of this, which are always nice to report in the midst of all the destruction. They help that the storm is moving away from that area. Tropical depression now harvey is spreading its heavy rains into another region. You can see the storm moving inland on the radar. Its expected to dump eight inches in kentucky and tennessee. The storms floods possibly damaged 100,000 homes in texas alone. Thousands of people have been rescued from homes and businesses that were flooded and stalled vehicles among them. These parents and their baby in port arthur, texas. The infant in a trash bag to try to keep him dry. The outpouring of support from around the country has been incredible. People brought boats from as far as away as north colara into clothing and other items for evacuees is pouring in from all over the country in addition to money, people donating that way. Very important stuff there. You can see them piling up. Marci gonzalez is in houston this morning. Marci, good morning. What do you know . Reporter hi, guys. This morning, shelters like this one are filling up. Theyve been bringing people in by the bus load, and they are expecting many more. With the governor saying in some areas, the worst of harveys impact still is not over. The floodwaters still rising, bringing more desperation in texas near the louisiana border. Every home in the whole neighborhood. Reporter in port arthur, this nursing home under water. More than 70 elderly residents stranded and soaked for it 24 hours until help arrived. Breaks my heart. Reporter in beaumont, rescues by boat. Ive never seen anything like this. Reporter and by black hawk. This woman lifted to safety wearing drenched clothes and a smile. And hardhit houston still buried. Though the sky is now clear here, the water keeps rising in some areas, more than 13,000 rescues here already. I didnt realize i was on camera. You look beautiful. No, i would have worn my wig for the occasion. Reporter to moments of levity. And hope. Along with unfathomable grief. Family members right there as six of their relatives killed when their van was swept away were found. Family, i just notified them. Obviously, they are devastated as we all are as well. Reporter the death toll still climbing as fear of more destruction grows. At this flooded plant in crosby, texas, the ceo releasing a statement saying he expects chemicals will explode or catch fire within six days, and more than 30,000 people here in texas are living in shelters, including this one, where theyve had so many people show up here wanting to help, they have had to turn thousands of volunteers away, up until ten minutes ago. There was a line of people all the way around this building, hoping to get in and help on the overnight shift, because thats when they heard the most help was needed. And you might see people walking by while were talking, and theyre all people who have just been turned away, because they have so many people already in there helping evacuees. Incredible, marci, those are people there in person. I mean, people all over the country are sitting there wondering what they can do to help. Are you getting a sense for what they seem to need the most . Reporter well, with this disaster and with really any disaster, the organizations who are on the ground will say the most important thing you can do to help is send money. Because the organizations here know whats needed. They know where its needed. So they can get that help out in the most efficient way possible to the people who need it most. So at this shelter, they had so many donations come in, they had to turn some away, tell people to stop bringing donations because they already have so many supplies. But this is a Community Organization that has put this shelter together. Theyre running things, a lot of the money is coming from their own fund. So really, the best way to help is to support these kinds of organizations putting in this kind of effort in helping all of these people whove been so impacted by harvey. Weve seen so many images of clothes and donations piled up there, marci, thank you so much. The rain now gone. Houstons two main airports reopened. Flights resumed at Bush International and hobby airports. And houstons School District will offer students three meals a day for the rest of the school year free of charge for everyone. Economists say harvey will be among the costliest Natural Disasters in u. S. History. The oil and gas city has been hit hard. Youre likely to see an increase in gas prices. Prediction is 15 to 25 cents before were done. Lets go to john porter. John, you kind of tracked all angles of this storm for us. What is it that made this one cause so much damage and disruption, really . Well, good morning. It is the really the fact that the significant and devastating rainfall occurred over such a broad area, over an te pd imnd that has really led to catastrophic flooding in houston and all of the and many of the other communities in eastern texas and up into portions of western louisiana. And we think this really is going to be a National Disaster in terms of the magnitude of this, in terms of the number of lives that are affected. Were very concerned the death toll is going to be increasing, potentially substantially, as more and more First Responders get into some of the hardest hit areas. And beyond the tremendous human impact, were also concerned about the impact to the economy as well. Our Analysis Shows that we may be talking about an impact of more than 190 billion to the economy from the storm, so quite significant. This is not like anything weve seen before in terms of the magnitude of the Flooding Across Houston and surrounding areas. 190 billion. That would surpass the 60 billion for Superstorm Sandy and the sum from hurricane katrina. But that said, were seeing some climatologists saying were seeing so many of these superstorms, though its been several years since sandy and 12 years since katrina, you study this stuff at accuweather. Do we expect to see more of these storms frequently . Thats a good question. When you look at any individual storm, in terms of the impact, youre really looking at all the risk factors that are there. In this particular situation, were talking about the houston metro area. Which is certainly an area that has very little elevation. Its really surrounded by water, and were talking about the ability for those to be risk factors as well as i mean environmentally, are the conditions there that we will see more of these storms . That is certainly a possibility, as we as we head into the future. And, again, not only just the environmental conditions, but also the impact as well and the risk factors based upon increasing population density and other factors. And john, you know, houston is starting to finally see the water recede. Other areas are still waiting for that, and other areas are just now starting to get hit. I wonder where you see being able to really kick start the recovery effort . At what point does that even begin . Well, we think its going to be quite some time across the houston area. In fact, its going to take likely weeks and in some places months for the water to recede back to normal levels, as as really the waters going to need to move through that complex bayou and channel system and slowly drain out of that entire system. So its going to be quite some time before the recovery is going to be able to take full effect in some areas. Meanwhile, well be tracking the rain from harvey as it continues to move out of louisiana and up into places like arkansas, the rest of the Lower Mississippi valley, portions of tennessee and eventually up into the ohio valley and the northeast this weekend. So its going to impact quite a few areas beyond the gulf coast states. Really, like a week ago we didnt realize harvey would have this sort of impact, so its hard to prepare for Something Like this. Is there a way to prepare for Something Like this . Well, its always a good idea to be checking back in terms of the latest forecast from here with us at accuweather in terms of keeping ahead of all kinds of weather situations. But john, what about supplies at home . Is there something you can keep, you know, at home . Are there ways to try to get ahead of Something Like this . When youre not expecting it . There sure are. There sure are. Its a good idea to have a backpack ready of things that youd want to take if you needed to leave your home really for any reason very quickly. So think about the kind of things that youd take if you had a half an hour before you needed to leave your home or two hours. Youd want to take critical documents and photos and other items. Its a great idea to be prepared and to have that for this situation or any type of Natural Disaster that may come. Thats john porter over at accuweather for us. Thank you for joining us, john. We appreciate it. We should mention that the president did address the situation in texas again as he traveled to missouri to drum up support. But this time it was for tax reform. The president continued to praise the response to the storm and directly acknowledged the victims after being criticized for not mentioning them during his visit to texas. He expressed thoughts and prayers for the people affected by the disaster. He and the rest of the country are with them every step of the way. Recovery will be tough. But i have seen the resilience of the american spirit first hand all over this country. To the people of houston and across texas and louisiana, we are here with you today. We are with you tomorrow. And we will be with you every single day after to restore, recover and rebuild. Meanwhile, secretary Rex Tillerson has personally thanked mexicos top diplomat after the country offered assistance in response to Hurricane Harvey. Tillerson called the offer generous but did not say if the u. S. Will accept it. The countries have been at odds over nafta negotiations and the president s promised border wall. A federal judge has temporarily blocked portions of the texas antisanctuary city law have been blocked. It would have personalized. It gave the ability to ask about a persons immigration status. The state will appeal the federal judges decision. Coming up, well have more of this mornings headlines, including the latest on an isis convoy hit by a u. S. Airstrike. We have the latest on two fronts of the fight against terror. And celebrating a birthday with new friends in the flood zone. Well look at some of the heartfelt stories of people coming together to keep each others spirits up. Youre watching world news now. The United States showing some firepower in the wake of north koreas missile launch. This is a test of a u. S. Intercept weapon, shooting down a Ballistic Missile near hawaii. It came as President Trump tweeted, talking is not the answer in the north korean crisis. But the president s message didnt appear to match the words of his own defense secretary. James mattis says talking with kim jong uns regime remains an option. Were never out of diplomatic solutions. We continue to work together. And the minister and i share a responsibility to provide for the protection of our nations, our populations and our interests. And the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said the u. S. Would continue its peaceful pressure campaign. The last formal talks between washington and north korea took place in 2012. New u. S. Led airstrikes are credited for keeping militants from reaching eastern syria. This comes after a ceasefire was reached with hezbollah. That agreement gave isis safe passage into the region. According to a coalition spokesperson, the airstrikes took out isis vehicles as well as roads along that route. And the pentagon announced there are more troops in afghanistan than previously disclosed. There are actually 11,000 troops in the area, 3,000 more than originally reported. The new members include those there on temporary and covert missions. A Police Chase Ends tragically in sacramento. A deputy was injured during a shootout. At a hotel. Investigators say two women led police on a car chase in what was believed to be a stolen car. The injured officers are expected to make a full recovery. Three people have been detained in the incident, but apparently that police chthere atd asene de that hotel and resulted in the deadly shootout. And new video out of russia shows the start of an intense weather situation. At least, not one, not two, you count them, four funnel clouds spot the near sochi, which hosted the last winter olympics, of course. Some reports say there were as many as a dozen tornados in that area. Wow. Very freaky. Coming up in our next half hour, a break through in the fight against cancer, how a new treatment approved by the fda is giving hope to leukemia patients. But first, our rob marciano takes us to the skies above houston and Southeast Texas to survey the damage left in the wake of harvey and the rescue efforts. Thats next. 60 of women are wearing the wrong size pad and. Experience leaks. Introducing always my fit. Find the number thats right for your flow and panty size on the top of any always pack. The better the fit, the better it protects. Always. And were back with more coverage from harvey. You can get a sense of the reach when you see it above. Rob marciano took to the skies with u. S. Border and Police Protection rescuing people in a black hawk helicopter. Were in the air over devastated port arthur, texas, pummeled with catastrophic flooding, with cvp air and Marine Operation searching for residents in desperate need of evacuation. Its surreal. They are true heroes. First up, an elderly couple and their dog stranded in their neighborhood. This woman soaking wet, hoisted in by basket. A smile of relief, happy to be safe. Next, the man and his dog. Weve already made one of an elderly couple and their dog. Were right back at it. Across texas, dramatic rescues like this. Black hawk helicopters spotting families in the floods. First responders rappelling down and hoisting those to safety. With so many to be saved they plan on doing this well into the night. The view from the black hawk was staggering. The water was as high as rooftops. In our 90minute ride, we rescued 15 people. And the airfield at beaumont is a very busy place. This operation is far from over. Thats rob marciano there. And so far, there have been so many rescues, 3500 rescues since the storm started. Theyve activated the entire texas National Guard, over 12,000 troops right there. And half of all of the aircraft that the coast guard has in this country are right there in texas. Much needed. The mix is next. Is next. The mix is next. So if youre on medicare or will be soon, you may want more than parts a and b heres why. Medicare only covers about 80 of your part b medical expenses. The rest is up to you. You might want to consider an aarp Medicare Supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. Like any Medicare Supplement insurance plan, these help pick up some of what medicare doesnt pay. And, these plans let you choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. You could stay with the doctor or specialist you trust. Or go with someone new. Youre not stuck in a network. Because there arent any. So dont wait. 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So lets be clear clearasil works fast on teen acne, not so much on other teen things. Time now for the mix and we are going to start things off over in deer park, texas, where a group of evacuees from Hurricane Harvey at a shelter decided Hurricane Harvey will not stop a birthday celebration. Happy birthday to you it happened to fall on tuesday, and the strangers around him decided they were celebrating no matter what. They even got him a cake and presents. Can you hear everyone singing happy birthday all of the children at the shelter were invited to the party. Look at him blowing out the candle there. I think hes quite psyched about it as well. Im guessing this is a birthday anthony will never forget. Indeed. Another memory was made at the convention center, 9,000 or 10,000 people at that shelter, to try to lighten up the mode, spiderman made an appearance. Pounding it out. So thats a video shared of spiderman making the rounds at the convention center, just went through the shelter, visited some kids, handed out some stickers. Pretty cool. Meantime, made some huge smiles on the kids faces. Earlier we saw a father and son dressed as batman. You know what else put a smile on someones face . On monday, good old ray yoder celebrated his 81st birthday by completing his mission to see all 645 cracker barrels in the country. Ray and wilma, you might remember, we told you about them. They were nearing their record as they tried to hit all the cracker barrels, they completed just in time for rays birthday, 645 cracker barrels. Happy birthday and congratulations, and after all that all they got was a tee shirt. You know the peg game that you play at the tables . Ray apparently knows how to beat it. Im sure hes a pro at it. 645 restaurants later, he figured it out. It took him until the last one to figure it out. This next video makes you wonder why. This is juan carlos. Do you see that . S the closeup,l realize, he is covered by bees. Oh, no. Hes an employee. Heck no. At a Honey Bee Farm in the canada area. So he brought 100,000 bees with him, created a beard, and then some. No. Just no. Its just wrong. Martin luther king jr. we hold these truths to be selfevident that all men are created equal. John f. Kennedy the torch has been passed to a new generation of americans. Barbara jordan the American Dream need not forever be deferred. Lyndon johnson this is the richest and the most powerful country. This morning on world news now, the desperate rescue effort on the coast. Residents finding themselves quickly surrounded by water. As harvey moves away from east texas, areas to the north may see more flooding conditions. Meanwhile, a nearby Chemical Plant is flooded and may be at risk of explosion. The ceo sent out a word of warning. Well get a live report from the ground just ahead. And new this half hour, the fda approves a cancer break through. So whos able to get the treatment called historic . Well let you know. And its abcs day of giving. All across our platforms, were asking you, the viewers, to help the relief effort in texas with lots of surprises from the many celebrities pitching in and forking over major cash donations. How you can help on this thursday, august 31st. From abc news, this is world news now. We can say good morning, everybody, on this thursday, and to the breaking news, harvey has weakened. It has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but its still packing plenty of rainfall as it moves eastward, increasing the risk of even more flooding. So the full scope of the devastation is becoming more clear. As we get in more images. More than 30 are confirmed dead. That number is expected to rise thousands of homes are still under water. National guard troops and some marines have been deployed for rescues and to distribute supplies. Floodwaters still swamping much of houston. But forecasters say the rain is over, at least for americas fourth largest city. That will allow fire crews to begin a block by block search. Harvey is moving inland. After unleashing a new round of devastation at the texas louisiana border. Gio benitez reports from orange, texas. Reporter we are seeing so many selfless acts here in orange, texas. We are seeing so many people coming here with these boats. They are using these boats, bringing them from all across the country to help people in those flooded homes get them out to safety, get them out to dry land. Now we want you to take a look at this video right now. It was released by the navy. And you can see, theres this video there in beaumont, texas. You can see the dramatic air rescues. Weve seen residents get to their rooftops to avoid those floods. That is exactly how the navy has been falling these people. You can see this family right there. The navy is pulling this family off the roof. And in port arthur, the most vulnerable, the elderly pulling 70 out to safety. Were seeing these Everyday Americans jump into action in a really remarkable way. And we hear about this country being divided. But here in eastern texas, i can tell you, it could not be more unified. Gio, thanks. Good to hear at least. In some houston area residents are starting to return home and getting the first look at the damage. But for many others it could take days or even weeks before they can begin mopping up and starting over. Look at these scenes. Estimates indicate more than 80 of homeowners who were affected do not have flood insurance. Receding floodwaters are revealing harsh and grim realities, too, like the bodies of six people from the same family, all discovered inside a van. There were, there were in the front seat with my brother. And he said, he and mom and dad were under water, you know, like i said, he just panicked. He tried to get himself out. Couple of grand parents there and several children died in that van. And take a look at one more image that illustrates the power of the water. Forceful enough to toss heavy highway dividers across as though they were toys. Powerful water. And harvey is also being blamed for oil spills in south texas. About 150 miles outside houston. Floodwaters from the storm toppled two storage tanks spilling almost 30,000 gallons of crude and a large amount of wastewater. Its not known if any of the spilled oil was recovered. And we expect to hear more damage to industry infrastructure as the floodwaters start to recede. And unfortunately, that could come with more environmental damage. Were also likely to hear about more price gouging, a best buy in cypress, texas, was criticized after pictures appeared on twitter, showing cases of water selling for about 43. The chain apologized, saying this was a mistake. The Texas Attorney general says thats not the worst. Another store was apparently charging 99 for water, and a Convenience Store was looking for 20 for a gallon of gas. They had a very calculated price, 42. 96. They said it was a mistake. The store was closed. Looting concerned in houston, one guntoting man took matters into his own hands and took guard outside a Convenience Store. He chased off anyone approaching the store. He was a former Law Enforcement officer. At least 40 people have been arrested for looting in the houston area. And volunteers continue to stream in the area to help thousands of people in need. Lets get to marci gonzalez, live from a shelter in houston. Whats the latest where you are . Reporter well, weve seen hundreds of volunteers showing up here, wanting to help out with the overnight shift at this shelter. And they just didnt need quite that much help. So theyve had to turn, throughout the course of yesterday more than 2,000 volunteers had to be turned away. So many people tried to sign up online to come here to help, the website crashed. Then the website crashed because so many people signed up wanting to give donations. Such an outpouring here where there are about 900 people spending the night. Theres a capacity for 10,000 people, so they have plenty of room here. They are expecting many more over the coming days and weeks. There are shelters not far from here out or beyond capacity. So they are expecting some of those evacuees to be brought here. Were hearing about a nearby Chemical Plant that may be in trouble. What do you know about that . Reporter this is about 30 miles from houston in crosby, texas. And this is a manufacturing plant. They have liquid organic peroxide. So these are chemicals used to make construction materials, plastics. Things like that. Now the thing with these chemicals is they need to stay refrigerated or they can combust. That plant has about six feet of water in and around it, and because of that, it killed the primary power source. Then the backup power source and the secondary backup source went out as well because of all the flooding. So the ceo of this company is now saying that there, reportedly saying that there is a good chance that in the next six days there could be a fire or explosion at the plant, and because of that danger, they have now evacuated all of the homes within a mile and a half radius of that plant. Wow. Because of the power knocked out. Many of them are saying its not a matter of if theres an explosion there but when. Marci gonzalez reporting from houston. Thank you. And harvey has been downgraded, but it is still packing plenty of power. Lets get some details from accuweathers Justin Povick. Good morning. Diane and kendis, thanks and good morning to you. Heavy rainfall continues to be a big problem. And right into friday. As we follow harvey off to the north and east, there is a stripe of rain where there could be eight to 16 inches and will produce dangerous flash flooding as all the activity slides its way into kentucky as we venture into friday. Meanwhile, over the southwest, a heat wave continues. Many spots in and around l. A. , around 100 degrees. Diane, kendis . Justin, thanks. When we come back, well look to some of the other stories, and President Trumps tax reform. Looking to unite republicans and democrats. And a break through in the fight against cancer, how stem cells are involved. Youre watching world news now. Cancer, how stem cells are involved. Youre watching world news now. Because your carpet theres resolve carpet care. It lifts more dirt and pet hair versus vacuuming alone. Resolve carpet care with five times benefits tha. Oh, burnton gravy . Ie. Gotta rinse that. Nope. No way. Nada. Really . Dish issues . Throw it all in. New cascade platinum powers through. Even burnton gravy. Nice. Cascade. Honey, we need to talk. We do . I took the trash out. I know. And thank you so much for that. I think we should get a Medicare Supplement insurance plan. Right now . [ male announcer ] whether youre new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80 of your part b medical expenses. Its up to you to pay the difference. So think about an aarp Medicare Supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. Like all standardized Medicare Supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesnt pay and could really save you in outofpocket medical costs. Call now. With a Medicare Supplement plan, youll be able to stay with your doctor. Oh, you know, i love that guy. Mmhmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. And there are no networks. You do your pushups today . Prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] dont wait. Call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp Medicare Supplement plan to go the distance with you. Go g. On l a wildfire has for a wildfire has forced immediate evacuations about an a wildfire has forced immediate evacuations about an hour outside seattle. It is called the Jolly Mountain fire and has burned more than eight square miles. Residents of 150 homes were told in imminent danger. A Lightning Strike triggered the fire more than three weeks ago. President trump is pitching his plan to overhaul the nations tax system. He spoke at a manufacturing plant in springfield, missouri, promising that his tax reforms would lead to Stronger Economic growth for companies as well as workers. He didnt offer any details, but with the Health Care Defeat still on his mind he tried to turn up the pressure on lawmakers. So this is on once in a Generation Opportunity to deliver real tax reform for every day, hardworking americans, and i am fully committed to working with congress to get this job done, and i dont want to be disappointed by congress, do you understand me . [cheers and applause] do you understand . Understand. Congress. I think congress is going to i think congress is going to make a comeback. I hope so. Tell you what. The United States is counting on it. After watching the speech, if you had congress in your drinking game, you would be wasted this morning. The president specifically took aim at claire mccaskill, you saw there, the democratic senator, he told the crowd if she doesnt vote to lower taxes, they should vote her out of congress. And arizona senator john mccain returns to capitol hill next week after being treated for brain cancer. The republican is set to lead a debate on a defense policy bill. Senator mccain has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy during the august recess. His office says the senator is looking forward to continuing his work for the people of arizona. The fda has approved a new way to fight cancer. It engineers the patients own cells and directs them to fight the cancer. Linzie janis has the details. Reporter a new frontier in the fight against cancer, for the first time, the fda approve proving a genetically engineered system that reprograms the patients own immune cells, reprogramming them and sending them back into the body to destroy cancer. Most of these patients remain in remission years later. That makes us think maybe its a potential cure for some of our kids, and thats very exciting to us. Reporter 12 year old Emily Whitehead was the first child to receive the treatment developed by the university of pennsylvania. At the time her parents were told there was no hope. We were out of options, and we werent ready to quit fighting. Reporter in may, emilys doctors at the Childrens Hospital of philadelphia declaring her five years cancer free. Congratulations. Thank you. I think its really exciting. Because the treatment that i got, other kids will be able to have the same treatment and have the same outcome that i did. Reporter there are serious side effects, but the hope is one day this kind of therapy could be used to treat other cancers. It costs almost 500,000. But the drug company, novartis says it is looking for ways to make sure that the patients who need it get it. Linzie janis, abc news, new york. And nearly 500,000 Heart Patients with implanted pacemakers could be vulnerable to hackers. A voluntary recall has been made because of recently discovered security flaws. Patients will need to visit their doctors to get a firmware update. In order to prevent potential tampering with pacemaker settings. And american dads are getting older. The average age of the father of a newborn is 31, a jump of three and a half years from the past three decades. Researchers found the oldest dads were in the northeast, the youngest in the south. Well, when we come back, the every day heroes stepping up to help the victims of harvey. Thats next. Youre watching world news now. Victims of harvey. Thats next. Youre watching world news now. And you look amazing. Ly comfortable. When your vneck looks more like a uneck. Thats when you know its halfwashed. Add downy to keep your collars from stretching. Unlike detergent alone, downy conditions to smooth. And strengthen fibers. So, dont halfwash it. Downy and its done. Were getting in some new were getting in some new images of victims riding out that storm at shelters all over texas. But some victims are riding out the storm in style, thanks to a small Furniture Store chain that opened its doors, beds and couches to those in needs. Now were learning the owner didnt just stop there. Abcs matt gutman caught up with him. Reporter this is jim mcingvale, better known as mattress mack. Saves you money i am mattress mack, how can i help . Reporter a beloved local businessman with a texassized personality. And since 1981, hes owned the highend gallery Furniture Stores in houston. Soon after the winds started blowing, 66yearold mack went from selling to giving. We got lotting of beds, lots of food, lots of water. Reporter offering a free port in the storm. Mack had plenty of takers. He said a lucky few hundred came in on their own, others rescued by his own delivery trucks. We picked up about 200 people stranded on bridges, Convenience Stores, walking through the water with snakes and alligators. Reporter they all found shelter at macks two houston stores and warehouses where they could recover from their struggles on beds and couches with High Altitude price tags. We said the hell with profits. Lets take care of the people. Thats the right thing to do. Thats the way i was brought up. Reporter this has also become a crash pad for a National Guard company on break. These 12,000 beds quite the upgrade from their standard and hes not concerned about any wear and tear. When they said gallery furniture, i said think got to be joking. Reporter this is carol. Shes here with her daughter and two grandsons, home for the past few days has been this living room display. You were also in katrina. I was also in katrina. I never thought going here we would experience the same thing, but we did. Reporter this time she was rescued by the Fire Department which brought her to macks place. He didnt have to do this. He made us so comfortable. When i left home i left home without some of my medications and medical equipment, and they supplied it. Reporter countless other businesses are also stepping up. Bakery workers here stuck at work stayed up all night, baking bread to feed First Responders. Restaurants, giving away free meals to rescuers as well. And even airbnb teaming up with their hosts to offer free rooms to evacuees. This is where we have all our dogs staying. Reporter and back here at macks place, doing everything they can to make their temporary guests more comfortable. Nearing his seventh decade, mack himself literally worked 24 hours straight, despite it all, his store, amazingly, is still open for business. You know, somebody said, are you all still a shelter or a Furniture Store. I said we can be both. Its not an either or proposition. Reporter and walking by those mattresses stacked high, we came across ruby hayes reaching out to mattress mack. Spent your 84th birthday here. She says harvey took everything from her. And right there, mack does Something Better than dry off her tears. Ill give you a mattress for your birthday, hows that . I got to give you a birthday present. Happy birthday. Nice to see you. Reporter a true testament to the spirit of texas. Ah, what a wonderful gift. A wonderful man for what hes doing there. And he did during katrina as well. Yeah, hes done this before. I also do love thats pointing out, were still open for business. You can still buy something. Matt gutman asked him, the furniture that the people are using, will you end up selling it . And he said sure, ill come up with some kind of schtick. He has built his storing on an elevated concrete bed so that they would be flood proof. Brilliant in knowing that houston, a large part of the city is in a floodplain. Yeah, he figured purposely, he could avoid the floods himself and provide shelter for those in need. One of the folks who was there at the shelter said its sort of like a Slumber Party on steroids. They also said that theyve accepted donations throughout, but now all they need is cleaning supplies. Lots of donations there. I love you, couch. You give us comfort. And we give you bare feet, backsweat, and gordos. Everything. I love you, but sometimes you stink. Soft surfaces trap odors. Febreze fabric refresher cleans them away for good. Because the things you love the most can stink. And plug in febreze to keep your whole room fresh for up to 45 days. Breathe happy with febreze. Clearasil rapid action begins working fast for clearly visible results in as little as 12 hours. But can ot fix this teens skateboarding mishap . Nope. So lets be clear clearasil works fast on teen acne, not so much on other teen things. Tand, our adulte children are here. So, we save by using tide. Which means we use less. Three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. Those are moms. Anybody seen my pants . Nothing cleans better. Put those on dad its got to be tide. Weve seen so many people opening their hearts, their home and their wallets to help those affected by harvey. Tune in today to good morning, america and join Robin Roberts for the telethon throughout the day. On abc, the network called free form as well as radio disney. They have a panel of celebrities fielding calls as well. Give them a ring, have a little chat, you never know who may pick up the phone. The guest list still a surprise, but we are being told and authorized to tell you there are some big names in sports, tv and actors and some singers youve probably heard of. Probably. There you go. Thats insider information. A few hints for you, and those are not the only celebrities stepping in of course to help in this effort. Weve been keeping an eye on j. J. Watt, plays for the Houston Texans and a huge force in trying to raise money. He originally laid out a goal of 200,000. Raised that in under two hours. A few days later he raised the goal to 6 million. Immediately reached that. Well, now j. J. Has increased his goal on the site to 10 million. Theyre already approaching that as well. And the goal, he said, theyve got semi Truck Drivers donating time and trucks, and all the money will go to the goods going into the trucks, generators, clothing, food, cleaning supplies, and theyre trying to make sure the money gets directly to the people who need it. The boys just returned to houston after doing practice somewhere else. So a lot of them got to see the damage close up yesterday. Theres a rapper in houston whos pretty popular down there called trae the truth. You see him on the left. And hes been doing some great work. Trae was rescued by a boat. After he got rescued, hes been going out by boat with a friends boat from san antonio, and rescuing people on his own. He actually rescued Orlando Magic basketball star and forward jonathan simmons. You see him there. Who just happened to show up and trae was there. Paying it forward. He got rescued himself. And decided now that im here, i might as well rescue a few others myself. And Miranda Lamberts foundation is focussing on animals. Weve seen lots of videos of pets stranded. Theyve been able to rescue 72 dogs. There are so many that have been stranded unfortunately. Dont miss our updates on wnnfans. Com. Making news in america this morning, harvey is moving inland and bringing new flooding fears this morning. The waters are still rising in texas and a new mandatory Evacuation Order has just been issued in houston where as many as 100,000 homes are believed to be destroyed. Were live in texas. And the explosion warning. A Chemical Plant six feet underwater in danger of catching fire. Why theres no way to stop it from happening. And a landmark cancer therapy, its already proved successful in a child diagnosed with leukemia. So hear why its being called a new era in the fight against cancer. A good morning to you all. Harvey is now a tropical depression bringing heavy rain to northern louisiana and