Problems in southeast texas. Early this morning there were at least two explosions at a flooded Chemical Plant in crosby, texas. Several people are being treated after inhaling fumes near the plant. The immediate area around that facility has been evacuated. At least 32,000 people have packed into shelters, most of them in the houston area. The death toll now tops 30, but that number is expected to rise. This morning, firefighters will begin going door to door searching for victims. And at this hour new mandatory evacuations have also been issued near an aging reservoir. The water level in the 79yearold Barker Reservoir is rising. There are now fears that it may collapse. Abcs maggie rulli continues our live coverage from houston. Maggie, good morning. Reporter diane and kendis, good morning. Harvey is now moving inland as that tropical depression where its expected to drop another 8 inches of rain on top of tennessee and kentucky, and while its no longer raining here in texas, unfortunately, the worst may be far from over as its estimated the storm may have damaged as many as 100,000 homes. In some parts of houston water rescues and Recovery Missions are still going around the clock five days after Hurricane Harvey made landfall. Now a tropical depression, harvey continues to batter the gulf coast. A river inside, outside, upside down side. Reporter port arthur desperate to escape the rain. Im scared for my babies. Reporter even though the rain has stopped in houston, the floodwaters continue to rise. Roughly 15,000 calls for help have poured in. Officials now going door to door marking bright orange cs on homes that are clear. Officials estimating up to 40,000 homes are destroyed in Harris County alone. But 100,000 is certainly not out of the question. Reporter those returning home to see the damage sift through their now waterlogged possessions. This is in my blood. This is where im from. Im not going. Im not leaving. Reporter and homeowners who lost everything, its estimated more than 80 of them dont have flood insurance. Im okay. Im just ready to go home, and i dont have a home because theyre flooded out. Reporter relief efforts are now under way. The u. S. Navy is sending two ships to the gulf of mexico. Last night more than 30,000 people slept in shelters like this one. Now people say the only heartening thing out of all of this is, diane and kendis, look behind me, those desks have been manned 24 7 by volunteers. So many people showed up here, they actually had to turn them away, so at least something, the Community Coming together in a time like this. Diane and kendis. Yeah, we heard the same earlier from marci gonzalez. Quite an outpouring of support there in houston. Maggie, thanks. And so far the National Guard alone has rescued 8,500 people and evacuated 26,000 more. And other federal agencies are also pitching in as well. Abcs rob marciano joined a crew from customs and Border Protection as they rescued people from the floodwaters. Reporter were in the air over devastated port arthur, texas, pummeled with catastrophic flooding. Basket going out. Reporter with the cbp air and Marine Operation searching for residents in desperate need of evacuation. Hold your position here. Reporter its surreal. They are true heroes. First up, an elderly couple and their dog stranded in their neighborhood. This woman soaking wet. The patient is inside. Reporter hoisted in by basket. A smile of relief. Happy to be safe. Next the man and his dog all safe tonight. Weve already made one of an elderly couple and their dog. Were right back at it. Across texas dramatic rescues like these, black hawk helicopters spotting families in the floods. First responders rappelling down and hoisting residents to safety. And rob marciano spent 90 minutes in the air with that crew. In that time alone they rescued 15 people. Incredible numbers there. In the meantime, economists say harvey will be the costliest Natural Disaster in u. S. History. The oil and gas industry is among the sectors hardest hit. 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. Now, were already seeing one effect, a spike in gas prices, an increase of up to 25 cents a gallon is now expected by the holiday weekend. About 20 of u. S. Oil Refining Capacity has been shut down because of the storm. Meanwhile, houstons two main airports have reopened, but service is limited. Passenger flights resumed yesterday afternoon at bush and hobby airports, which have been closed since saturday. Theyre hoping to return to full service by sunday. And Vice President mike pence is heading to texas today. He says he wants to reassure texans that the administration will provide all the support they need to restore, recover and rebuild. Weve seen some remarkable spirit all week long from the first responders, of course, who are helping those in need. Oh, yeah, but one woman rescued from the floodwaters showed her own spirit and a strong sense of humor despite the ordeal she just survived. Listen to what she told reporters right after she was rescued. I didnt realize i was on camera. Youre live. No. You look beautiful. No, i would have worn my wig for the occasion. She forgot to pack that. It was a good wig, yeah. Not bashful in front of the cameras clearly and happy to report shes doing just fine this morning. Were not sure about the wig. I think she had her spirit, definitely. Were making a big push today, we should point out, to raise money for storm relief efforts. Abcs Parent Company disney teaming up with the red cross for a day of giving. Good morning america will be kicking off those efforts with a day long telethon. A panel of celebrities will be fielding calls, so give them a call. You never know who might pick up and many people in need of those donations. Well, still ahead, the u. S. Flexes some military muscle in response to north koreas latest missile launch. Plus, President Trump hits the road starting with a big push for changes to the tax code. And some important medical devices in danger of being hacked. The new wa its a live picture of the radar. Harvey is now a tropical depression, but it is bringing rain to much of louisiana this morning. And the president addressed the devastation, in the meantime, in texas during a visit to missouri. He directly acknowledged the victims of harvey after being criticized earlier in the week for not mentioning them during his visit to texas. Here, take a listen at what he had to say. In difficult times such as these, we see the true character of the american people, their strength, their love and their resolve. We see friend helping friend, neighbor helping neighbor and stranger helping stranger and together we will endure, and we will overcome. 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. The president was in missouri pitching his plan to overhaul the tax system. Speaking at a manufacturing plant, he promised tax cuts will lead to stronger growth for Small Businesses and the middle class. The foundation of our job creation agenda is to fundamentally reform our tax code for the first time in more than 30 years. I want to work with congress, republicans and democrats alike, on a plan that is progrowth, projobs, proworker and proamerican. Now, the president took aim at missouris democratic senator Claire Mccaskill telling the crowd, if she doesnt vote to lower taxes, they should vote her out of office. Breaking overnight, a show of force against north korea. U. S. Fighter jets flew over south korea this morning just hours after this, take a look. Its the u. S. Missile defense test taking place. The military intercepted a mediumrange Ballistic Missile off the hawaiian coast. The standoff with north korea is producing mixed messages from the trump administration. The president tweeted yesterday that talking is not the answer when it comes to dealing with kim jongun. But defense secretary james mattis later said the u. S. Will never run out of diplomatic options. North korea, meanwhile, has called for more missile launches into the pacific. We learned overnight from the pentagon there are now 11,000 american troops currently serving in afghanistan. Thats nearly 3,000 more than previously disclosed. Officials say as part of an effort to be more transparent, the new troop numbers now include those who are on temporary and covert missions. Troop levels are expected to reach 15,000 in the coming months. A new alliance has reportedly formed as the russia investigation moves forward. Politico reports special Counsel Robert Mueller has teamed up with new yorks attorney general to investigate President Trumps former chairman paul manafort. Theyre reportedly sharing evidence on manafort including his Financial Transactions and real estate deals. The move may give mueller more leverage to compel manafort to cooperate because the president does not have the power to pardon statelevel crimes. When we come back, whats being called a potential second disaster in southeast texas. The concern right now about a major explosion at a flooded Chemical Plant. The evacuations ordered. Also ahead, money pouring in. The unexpected surge for one football superstars efforts to help houston. Oh wow, what kind of underwear are those . Theyre breathable underwear from fruit of the loom. [gasp] what are those . Guys. Theyre breathable underwear from fruit of the loom. Yes, they have these tiny holes to let the air through, can you help me . Wa wa weewoo look at those. Can you feel this . [blowing] turn around for me. Seriously . Yeah. Slow. Slow. Slower. Slower is that okay. I dont think you should get that dress. It doesnt fit. Stay cool with breathable underwear from fruit of the loom. 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. Oh, its actually. S your sfx short balloon squeal its ver. Sfx balloon squeals ok can we. Sfx balloon squeals im being so serious right now. I really want to know how your coffee is. Its. Sfx balloon squeals hahahaha, i had a 2nd balloon goodbye oof, that milk in your coffee was messing with you, wasnt it . Yeah. Happens to more people than you think. Try lactaid, its real milk, without that annoying lactose. Mmm. Good right . Yeah. Lactaid. Its the milk that doesnt mess with you. Well, heres one illustration showing the extreme power and strength of the rushing floodwater. Those are cement highway dividers that were lifted up and tossed across several lanes ending up in piles looking like toys and Building Blocks there. Tropical depression harvey is bringing heavy rain into western tennessee later this morning. And even though its no longer raining in south texas, theres still a chance of more flooding because of runoff. New evacuations have been ordered near a houston reservoir. And damage to public property from harvey is estimated at about 97 million so far. 10,000 National Guard troops from other states have joined the texas National Guard starting with the recovery effort. And theres another breaking news story outside of houston. A Chemical Company says there have been at least two explosions at its plant in crosby located about 25 miles northeast of houston. The arkema plant makes products used in water hoses and foam cups. They need to be kept cold but several feet of floodwater cut power as well as two backup sources in cutting the refrigeration. One deputy taken to the hospital after inhaling fumes. Nine others went to the hospital as a precaution and there are concerns more explosions could follow. The companys ceo put a statement saying it could explode and saying theres no way to prevent caughting i will a potential for a second disaster. Officials previously evacuated a 1 1 2mile radius hours before the explosion. Families and their pets could be seen boarding school buses and military vehicles to get out. So, again, explosions at a flooded Chemical Plant outside of houston. A deputy has been hospitalized for inhaling fumes. A spokesperson for the plant says additional explosions are expected and we will continue following this breaking news as we get more but right now a very precarious situation there justout side of houston. In the meantime, nfl superstar jnl watt, well, his goal this time of year is usually sacking quarterbs aftermath. The Houston Texans lineman wants to raise 10 million for the flood victims, and hes already more than halfway there. Heres abcs t. J. Holmes. Reporter j. J. Watt, star defender for the Houston Texans is taking to social media to raise money for Hurricane Relief efforts. Its very tough to watch your city get hit by such a bad storm and not be there to help. Reporter starting with his own 100,000 donation on sunday, watt challenged his followers to match it and raised over 500,000 in less than a day. And after tackling that goal, he raised the bar even higher. And ive upped the goal to 1. 5 million now. Reporter and higher. 2 million. Reporter now, after raising nearly 9 million, the nfl star is setting his biggest goal yet. Everything is bigger in texas so im raising the goal to 10 million. Reporter money is pouring in from over 85,000 individual donors. T. J. Holmes, abc news, new york. Every dime helps. Well, to ease the impact of harvey, houstons Independent School district is now offering every student three meals a day for the rest of the school year. The meals will be provided free of charge for all 215,000 Public School students and, of course, a reminder that schools are closed at least through labor day. Well, some kids at a houston shelter got a very welcome surprise visit from a superhero. Your friendly neighborhood spiderman came by to say hello. He handed out stickers and added lots of smiles to lots of young faces lifting their spirits of some adults, as well. Happy to see spiderman is here. Up next, what doctors are calling a major advance in the fight against cancer. The new treatment just approved. And driving through an inferno. First responders on the scene of a wildfire forcing thousands from their homes in the west. West. Nick was born to move. Not necessarily after 3 toddlers with boundless energy. But lower back pain wont stop him from keeping up. Because at a dr. Scholls kiosk he got a recommendation for our best custom fit orthotic to relieve his foot, knee, or lower back pain, from being on his feet. By reducing shock and stress on his body with every step. So look out world, dads taking charge. Dr. Scholls. Born to move. Perfect. Why do the best things in life create so much mess more nights in. More gooey cheesy dishes. More pie plates. More bake sales. So many goodtimes. So many dirty dishes. Tackle them all with finish® quantum. Even on the toughest messes finish® gives you a unbeatable clean. And now get 25 more loads then cascade® platinum™ the choice is clear, switch to finish® quantum. Labor day weekend sale. Boys active tees are only 8 take 20 to 40 off sneakers for the family and kitchen electrics are just 19. 99 plus take an extra 10 off when you spend 25 or more and everyone gets kohls cash too kohls. When i walked through for a cigarette, thats when i knew i had to quit. For real this time. Thats why im using nicorette. Only nicorette gum has patented dualcoated technology for great taste, plus intense craving relief. Every great why needs a great how. Were taking a look at some stunning images from a wildfire burning out of control west of redding, california. The flames are threatening several homes and businesses forcing thousands to evacuate. About 1,500 acres have burned so far. The fda has approved a new weapon in the fight against cancer. The first treatment using the patients own immune cells. For now the treatment is only approved for younger patients with a certain form of leukemia like 12yearold Emily Whitehead here, the first child to undergo the treatment. Its genetically engineered therapy that works by reprogramming a patients own immune cells then sending them back into the body to destroy the cancer. Most of these patients remain in remission years later, and so that makes us think maybe thats actually a potential cure for some of our kids, and thats very exciting to us. Reporter when emily was first diagnosed, doctors warned her parents there was little or no hope for her. But five years later her doctors say she is cancerfree. And there is an urgent warning this morning that nearly 500,000 Heart Patients with implanted pacemakers could be vulnerable to hackers. The fda has issued a voluntary recall for certain cardiac devices from st. Jude medical now owned by Abbott Laboratories because of security flaws. Patients will need to visit their doctors to get an update to prevent potential tampering with pacemaker settings. So it turns out that american dads are getting older. A new study finds the average age of a dad of a newborn in the u. S. Is now over 30 for the first time. Thats compared to 27 back in the early 1970s. The reasons cited include better Birth Control and a focus on careers. Researchers found the oldest new dads live in the northeast. The oldest person in the study was a man who fathered a newborn at age 94. Wow. And then again at 96. What was in his coffee . Holy cow. So overseas this morning, we should point out there is a sea of tributes for Princess Diana on the 20th anniversary of her death. Mourners are leaving flowers and other gifts outside kensington palace. A live picture here of the scene. Diana was just 36 when she died in a car crash in paris while being chased by the paparazzi. Yesterday her sons william and harry along with duchess kate honored her with a visit to a memorial garden. As the rain fell they also viewed many of the tributes that were left at the gates of the palace by the people. And back here at home, the Lottery Machine that produced this months 758 million Powerball Jackpot is now out of service for good. The massachusetts lottery has retired the terminal. It was used for 20 years before spitting out the numbers that led to the largest jackpot ever won by a single ticket holder. Lottery officials may put the machine on display, so now the woman who won all the money, she can retire. She retired. She immediately retired. Who knew the machine can retire now too. I didnt know it worked that way. Ive heard like horses that have won the Kentucky Derby or are in the triple crown, like theyre put out to pasture and get to retire. Ive never heard of a winning Lottery Machine. Its kicking back. Its kicking back. Sitting back on a beach. Live yeah, not producing new Lottery Machines out there like a horse. We have more news coming up. Up. Your body was made for Better Things than rheumatoid arthritis. Before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz is right for you. Xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. Xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. Xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. Dont start xeljanz if you have an infection. Tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. Your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. Tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. Xeljanz can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate, and is also available in a oncedaily pill. Ask about xeljanz xr. woman theres a moment of truth. Etes, and now with victoza®, a better moment of proof. Victoza® lowers my a1c and blood sugar better than the leading branded pill, which didnt get me to my goal. Lowers my a1c better than the leading branded injectable. The one i used to take. Victoza® lowers blood sugar in three ways. And while it isnt for weight loss, victoza® may help you lose some weight. Noninsulin victoza® comes in a pen and is taken once a day. announcer victoza® is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes and is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not take victoza® if you have a personal or Family History of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza® or any of its ingredients. Stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck or if you develop any allergic symptoms including itching, rash, or difficulty breathing. Serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis, so stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area. Tell your doctor your medical history. Taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. The most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. Nows the time for a better moment of proof. Ask your doctor about victoza®. Good morning on this thursday, august 31st. Thanks for getting up with us. Its 4 27. And it feels like it. It feels like it, and it already feels like its going to be warmer today. Before we go to meteorologist mike nicco, happy belated birthday, alexis. So lovely to see you. Bringing the heat, mike. Is that you . Im not bringing the heat. Is that your birthday present . I would like to different one. She kept her receipt and she wants to return it. Regift it. Absolutely. Lets take a look at whats going on. Hi, everybody. Lets get you up to date. Lets go to whats going to happen today. Advisory for the north bay, east bay, south bay valleys. Excessive heat warning. More dangerous heat in the east bay hills and the diablo range. Look what happens friday through monday. Everybody except for the coast and San Francisco in an excessive heat warning. That means its goto be dangerous for at least four days. Saturday will be the hottest day at the coast and San Francisco. You will be under a heat advisory. More on the numbers and the poor air quality up next. Heres alexis. Were starting off fairly quiet on the roads. One blocking issue so far today. It does sound pretty minor. This is 880, just north of 238 on the southbound side. A van lost control, that spun out, it is facing the wrong way, but it made it to the righthand shoulder. Im not seeing delays in the area. We have emergency crews on the way to the scene. That should stay a minor issue. A pretty tough spot, so ill keep a close eye on that. Well look at drive times in a couple minutes. Were going to begin with breaking news at the live desk. Want to get you the latest on harveys destruction across the gulf coast. Only a short time ago, a pair of explosions were heard and black smoke seen rising from a Chemical Plant in crosby, texas. A deputy was taken to the from the plant which produces organic peroxides used in a variety of product. Nine other officers drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution, and the scope of the explosion still unknown at this point. Yesterday, authorities evacuated workers and residents within a mile and a half radius of the Chemical Plant. The plant was shut down last week. It was flooded under more than five feet of water. Thank you. The Sacramento CountySheriffs Department says the suspect who shot and killed a deputy is a 32yearold man from the bay area. His name has not been released. He killed 52yearold Deputy Robert french in a shootout yesterday. French and other members of an outo Theft Task Force had gone to a hotel when someone opened fire through the door. Two chp officers were hurt. The suspect was captured after a chase. 17 pounds of meth off the streets this morning thanks to santa clara police. Youre looking at the haul of a surveillance operation. They also uncovered a loaded handgun and 28,000 in cash. The bust happened last week. They arrested two people. Santa clara police call it one of the largest meth busts in the departments history. An oroville man is under arrest accused of starting the fire that destroyed ten homeser writs its threatening 500 other structures. It scorched 3100 acres since it began on tuesday. Only 10 contained now. Investigators say the man they arrested started an illegal camp fire that got out of control. 4 30. If youre just joining us, time to wake up with weather and traffic. Lets look at whats going on as far