An overnight curfew was imposed starting today amid reports of looting, armed robberies and crooks impersonating police officers.
The lockdown, which bans people from driving through the city’s public places between midnight and 5am has been imposed indefinitely, officials said.
Those who breach the tight restrictions could face arrest and jail time.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo announced: ”You cannot drive, nor be in any public place.
“We have had problems with armed robberies, with people with guns and firearms.”
In a further warning, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg promised zero tolerance for those trying to steal from abandoned homes and businesses.
She said: “People displaced or harmed in this storm are not going to be easy prey.
“Anyone who tries to take advantage of this storm to break into homes or businesses should know that they are going to feel the full weight of the law.
“Offenders will be processed around the clock without delay.”
Extra police have also been drafted in amid fears the area could see similar large scale looting to that which followed Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago.
The crackdown comes after 14 people were arrested for looting over a 48-hour period in the Houston area.
ABC reporter Tom Llamas was among those who witnessed the sporadic outbreaks of crime, saying he saw looters entering a shop with their faces covered.
He tweeted: “We’re witnessing looting right now at a large supermarket in the NE part of Houston & police have just discovered a body nearby.
The reporter, who claimed he had informed police of the looting, was then faced a social media backlash and was branded a “narc”.
Harvey, which has already caused catastrophic flooding has now reached Louisiana as the hurricane spreads inland.
The brutal storm, which first came ashore on Friday, is the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years and has killed at least 18 people.
Among the confirmed fatalities was Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the force who drowned while attempting to drive to work on Sunday.
Tens of thousands of people have had to leave deluged homes and billions of dollars worth of damage has been caused.
Nearly a third of Harris County, home to Houston, was flooded, and it may take days for all flood waters, which have spilled over dams and pushed levees to their limits, to recede.
US President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey the damage, saying he was pleased with the response, but it was too soon for a victory lap.
He said: “We won’t say congratulations.
“We don’t want to do that… We’ll congratulate each other when it’s all finished.”
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