During an impromptu speech to a crowd of hundreds, the US President got up on a ladder between two fire trucks outside the Annaville fire station.
Using a microphone and an amp he was just audible over the wind and the cheering.
The President said: “We love you, you are special, we are here to take care of you. It’s going well. What a crowd, what a turn-out.”
We love you, you are special, we are here to take care of you
He said that rescue work had been a “total collaborative effort” with Texas officials.
He said: “It’s historic. It’s epic. But I tell you, it happened in Texas and Texas can handle anything.”
The crowd outside the fire station cheered “USA! USA!” as Mr Trump, wearing a waterproof jacket and brown boots, pulled out a Texas flag and waved it.
Unprecedented flooding had left the city of Houston underwater and claimed the life of a police officer who drowned in his patrol car as the death toll reached at least 15.
AFP • REUTERS
Hurricane Harvey: President Donald Trump has visited Texas after it was hit with heavy floods
Rain gauges in Harris County recorded 49 inches of rain, the most ever in US history from a tropical storm that made landfall.
The clean-up bill is expected to cost at least $40billion and some 450,000 people will need emergency help.
The statistics for Harvey grow more staggering with each day of the disaster, which has been unfolding since Friday.
About 3,500 people have now been rescued in Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a press conference.
He said that another mega shelter would be opened after the main one, the George R Brown Convention Centre, became overwhelmed despite capacity being increased from 5,000 to 9,000.
AFP
The US President said ‘Texas can handle anything’
Police chief Art Acevedo said that officers arrested a crew of armed robbers who had been targeting survivors, along with a handful of looters whom he said would get tough sentences.
An ABC News TV crew also saw a group of looters and notified police. Major General James Witham, a National Guard director, said that 20 to 30,000 soldiers were ready to be deployed on top of the 12,000 existing troops in the region.
Dozens of hospitals have been evacuated and more than 17,000 people are in shelters as federal officials ship two million meals to the region.
Animal rescue shelters have also been inundated after a quarter of a million pets were displaced.
EPA
REUTERS
Thousands were evacuated from Houston as water levels rose
Emergency calls have gone out for doctors, nurses and donations. On streets that had become raging rivers volunteers carried out rescues using anything they could find.
Rescuers formed a human chain to help lift pregnant Andrea Smith, who was in labour, to a truck waiting to take her to hospital where baby Adrielle was born.
Her husband Greg said: “We had two miscarriages before this. We’ve always wanted a little baby”.
Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody tweeted a picture of tents residents had pitched on their roof.
He wrote: “The total loss our team is seeing is indescribable.”
Survivor Glenda Walton said she watched as a woman hugging a tree lost her grip, got caught in the churning water and drowned.
A family of six drowned in their van trying to reach higher ground in the single deadliest incident resulting from the storm.
There are also fears for New Orleans, devastated by Katrina 12 years ago yesterday, which will get up 10 inches of rain this week and bring serious flooding.
Harvey was rated worse than Katrina. lFirst Lady Melania quickly switched to white trainers after being criticised for arriving in towering black stiletto heels.
One Twitter quip: “Texas: We need pumps. Melania Trump: Will Jimmy Choo do?”