Trump flies to storm-battered Houston

President Donald Trump arrived in Houston today to witness the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey, which pounded America's fourth-largest city with apocalyptic floods that killed dozens and wrecked homes and businesses.
The sprawling Texas megacity was taking tentative steps back to normalcy after a week of acute flooding that damaged 40,000 to 50,000 homes and sent tens of thousands fleeing to emergency shelters.
The White House has asked Congress for USD 7.85 billion for Harvey-related "response and initial recovery efforts," calling it a "down payment" on the long-term cost of recovering from the record flooding.
Harvey has been blamed for at least 42 deaths thus far and tens of billions of dollars of damage.

Trump and first lady Melania landed at a Houston air base today morning, and were whisked off in a convoy of dark SUVs accompanied by a delegation that included Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
At the city's Convention Center, which was turned into a shelter for thousands at the peak of the crisis, University of Houston cheerleaders shaked pom-poms and the school's furry cougar mascots stopped by to lift the spirits of evacuees.

"We're here to hang out with the kids, to cheer people up," said one of the students in the group, as evacuees waiting in line for federal aid vouchers waved and took photos.

Downtown cafes were open and a couple was even seen jogging, though area hotels were packed with exhausted families -- including many who have received vouchers to help pay for the rooms. Some checked in carrying their belongings in plastic bags.
The president is returning to Texas for his second visit since the megastorm hit, and will also visit neighboring Louisiana later in the day.
Trump on Tuesday stopped in the coastal city of Corpus Christi and the state capital of Austin, after which he tweeted that he witnessed "first hand the horror & devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey" -- though he did not, in fact, tour any flooded areas or meet with any victims.

He has declared Sunday a "National Day of Prayer" for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
And as floodwaters receded in Houston, nearby cities such as Beaumont -- which had lost its water supply -- and Port Arthur struggled to recover.
One week after Harvey slammed into southeast Texas as a Category Four hurricane, rescuers were still out searching for people still inside flooded homes.
The White House's request for nearly USD 8 billion in emergency storm aid -- made in a letter late yesterday to House Speaker Paul Ryan -- was USD 2 billion more than what the White House was expected to request, suggesting a rapid rise in needed funding as the scale of the disaster becomes clear.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, who said the administration would later be seeking an additional USD 6.7 billion for disaster relief, called on Congress to lift the US debt ceiling, warning that otherwise the outlays could be affected.