1st Hurricane Harvey Fatality Confirmed

The first death as a result of Hurricane Harvey has been reported in Rockport, Texas. Rockport Mayor CJ Wax confirmed the fatality Saturday, the Washington Post reports. According to ABC News, the identity of the victim has not been released. An Aransas County judge says 12 to 14 people were injured in the area, the AP reports. Officials expect to find more victims as searches continue. When Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport, a city of about 10,000 people, winds were peaking at 125mph. The wind and rain prevented emergency crews from responding to distress calls. At one point Saturday morning, 22 firefighters were stuck sheltering in a fire station, forced to ignore up to 30 requests for help.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says it's too early to make any guesses as to the extent of property damage or casualties. But in Rockport, where residents who ignored a mandatory evacuation were advised to write their identities on their arm, buildings were destroyed. Wax described the situation to the Post in an email: “Widespread devastation unknown loss of life.” The area could still face serious flooding, with up to 60 inches of rain by the middle of next week. Meanwhile, some Texas residents remained unimpressed with Harvey's fury. A 56-year-old man in Galveston described his most-pressing concern: "We're running low on Corona." (More Hurricane Harvey stories.)