Harvey Wrecks Buildings, Cuts Power, Strands Cruise Ships

The immediate effects of Hurricane Harvey on Texas are starting to show. The AP reports nearly 300,000 people lost power as some areas of the state received nearly 20 inches of rain. Some communities near the coast where Harvey made landfall Friday night are reporting damaged or destroyed homes, businesses, and schools and loss of cell service. Coast Guard helicopters were sent to rescue the crews of three tugboats that were in distress near Port Aransas on Saturday morning. And multiple cruise ships with thousands of passengers are currently stranded in the Gulf, unable to return to Galveston, according to Reuters. Two Carnival cruise ships were rerouted to New Orleans for additional supplies.

Hurricane Harvey was downgraded to a Category 1 on Saturday morning, and CBS News reports it was expected to weaken to a tropical storm by the afternoon. But that doesn't mean the danger has passed. Some areas of Texas are expected to receive up to 30 inches of rain by Wednesday, and "catastrophic" flooding is still a possibility in the coming days. It's also possible Harvey moves back out to sea and gains strength before hitting Texas a second time. (More Hurricane Harvey stories.)