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How Joel Osteen shuts megachurch amid flooding crisis – Videos

Televangelist Joel Osteen canceled services at his Houston megachurch Sunday and has yet to reopen its doors — despite the fact that thousands of flooded-out residents are desperately seeking shelter.

The perpetually smiling pastor told followers on Twitter on Monday to lean on their faith.

“Jesus promises us peace that passes understanding,” he wrote. “That’s peace when it doesn’t make sense.”

But Osteen’s comforting words didn’t sit well with critics, who want to know why the doors to his 16,800-seat arena at his Lakewood Church near downtown Houston are closed.

“You have taken so much money away from your people to live like a king,” entertainment publicist Danny Deraney blasted. “It’s the least you could do.”

Washington, DC-based writer Charles Clymer tweeted pictures of Lakewood Church, which did not appear to be damaged by floods. “It doesn’t make sense why you’re not opening up your mega church to house Houston citizens, help me understand that. Jesus,” according to Florida-based writer Emily Timbol.

While the church and its arena have not suffered any flood damage yet, ministry spokesman Donald Iloff said their property is inaccessible because of surrounding waters.

And it makes no sense to open church doors when the city and county are already treating thousands of flood victims at the nearby George R. Brown Convention Center, according to Iloff.

“It has everything inside there — medicine, doctors, places to sleep,” Iloff said of the convention center. “It’s amazing what they’re doing there to make people comfortable.”

Social Responsibility – Walmart doles out $2 million for Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

HOUSTON – Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed up $2 million in support of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which was announced today at a press briefing with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

“Our Texas family of customers and associates are experiencing devastating impact from this storm,” said Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart. “We are on the ground to help our friends and neighbors in the Gulf region, and we’ll continue to be in the tough days, weeks, and months ahead.”

“In the midst of the worst storm this region has ever seen, it is wonderful to see corporate partners such as Walmart step up and help Houstonians,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We are rebuilding and with these funds we will be able to help Houstonians return to normality. I would like to thank Walmart President and CEO, Doug McMillon for his generosity and challenge others to join in this effort.”

To help those in need, Walmart is also launching a customer campaign with the American Red Cross to assist with Hurricane Harvey relief. As part of the customer campaign, Walmart is matching customer donations two to one with cash and product donations of up to $10 million to support American Red Cross disaster relief. Walmart’s initial focus will be on mega-shelters, providing items to meet basic needs, such as water, infant formula, diapers, underwear and personal hygiene products. Walmart will also aim to increase comfort in these shelters by providing items such as TVs, DVDs, games and stuffed animals for children and healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will also give additional cash and product donations totaling $10 million to support the Salvation Army, Feeding America, Convoy of Hope, Team Rubicon and the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, as well as other organizations assisting food distribution, sheltering and cleanup efforts.

This commitment is an increase from the previously announced $1 million of in-kind donations for immediate relief. In addition, local stores in the Gulf region have provided food, merchandise and other supplies, such as baby formula, batteries and kayaks to first responders, the National Guard, police and fire departments, churches and shelter organizations. Additional relief efforts include:

Shipping more than 1,060 truckloads to the impacted areas, including over 930 truckloads of water. Committing support to the George R. Brown Convention Center sheltering operation in Houston through truckloads of food and water and small comforts like board games, TVs, clothing and every day essentials.

Walmart will continue to deliver water and emergency supplies to the areas in greatest need throughout the region; including cleaning supplies, pet food, batteries, diapers, baby formula, hand sanitizer, first aid supplies, fans, generators, candles, flashlights, propane, rainwear, tarps, gas cans and related items.

As Harvey submerges Houston, local officials defend their calls not to evacuate

Interstate highway 45 is submerged from the effects of Hurricane Harvey seen during widespread flooding in Houston, Texas on Aug. 27, 2017.

Through Monday morning, Harvey continued to unleash record levels of rain on Houston, causing “catastrophic” flooding in the city and in surrounding Harris County, where at least six people appear to have died as a result of the storm.

Some parts of Harris County have received more than 30 inches of rain since Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS warned of “additional catastrophic, unprecedented and life threatening flooding” through this week and placed flash-flood emergencies for all of Southeast Texas.

As the much-anticipated storm pummeled the country’s fourth-largest city — overwhelming the 911 system and sending some residents, against the advice of officials, into their attics to flee floodwaters — many asked the question: Should Houston have been evacuated? If so, why wasn’t it?

Turner, Abbott – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) encouraged residents to evacuate low lying and coastal areas, even if a mandatory evacuation order had not been issued. Turner defended his call for people to stay in place, saying “There was a lot of conversation about the direction in which hurricane Harvey was going to go,” he said at a news conference Sunday. “No one knew which direction it was going to go. So it’s kind of different to send people away from danger when you don’t know where the danger is.”

At least one top official thought it should have been.

On Friday, before Harvey made landfall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) encouraged residents to evacuate low lying and coastal areas, even if a mandatory evacuation order had not been issued.

“Even if an evacuation order hasn’t been issued by your local official, if you’re in an area between Corpus Christi and Houston, you need to strongly consider evacuating,” Abbott said at a news conference. “What you don’t know, and what nobody else knows right now, is the magnitude of flooding that will be coming.

“You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you could be subject to a search and rescue.”

The governor’s warning was in sharp contrast to the advice local and county officials had been dispensing for days: Shelter and stay in place.

And it set off a scramble by local officials on social media to tell Houston-area residents otherwise.

“LOCAL LEADERS KNOW BEST,” Francisco Sanchez, spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, tweeted in response to Abbott’s warning.

There were no evacuation orders in Houston, and orders only existed in a few communities in Harris County, Sanchez stressed on Friday afternoon.

In a follow-up tweet, Sanchez urged residents to heed the advice of local officials, such as Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, rather than the governor.

On Saturday morning, as Hurricane Harvey’s powerful winds and rain caused severe damage to coastal communities, the Houston mayor warned people there would be heavy rain and flooding in the city for the next four to five days — but once again emphasized they did not need to evacuate.

Turner also addressed concerns that Abbott and local officials had sent conflicting messages about what was safer: fleeing or staying in place.

“Quite frankly, leaving your homes, getting on the streets, you’ll be putting yourself in more danger and not making yourself safer,” he said. “And so, we’re just asking people to hunker down.”

The following day, as the storm’s devastating toll came into better focus, Turner defended his call for people to stay in place.

“There was a lot of conversation about the direction in which hurricane Harvey was going to go,” he said at a news conference Sunday. “No one knew which direction it was going to go. So it’s kind of different to send people away from danger when you don’t know where the danger is.”

He added that trying to evacuate the city in such a short time would have been logistically “crazy,” as history has shown.

People catch a ride on a construction vehicle down a flooded street on Aug. 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
A car is submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Aug. 27, 2017 near downtown Houston, Texas.
People use a truck to evacuate their homes after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas
People walk through water to a staging area to evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas on Aug. 27, 2017.
Isiah Courtney carries his dog Bruce through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place, Texas, on August 28, 2017.

“Remember the last time we evacuated, there was a great deal of confusion, great deal of chaos,” the mayor said. “There were people that were going to Austin that were on the road 10 to 12 hours, if not longer. There were people who ran out of gas on their way — a great deal of confusion.”

Turner was referring to the city’s evacuation ahead of Hurricane Rita in 2005, a disastrous effort that resulted in dozens of deaths and widespread criticism of the authorities.

Emmett, Harris County’s chief executive, echoed Turner’s thoughts Sunday, telling reporters there was “absolutely no reason” to evacuate the city before the storm.

“You cannot put, in the city of Houston, 2.3 million people on the road. … That is dangerous,” the judge said, according to CNN. “If you think the situation right now is bad — you give an order to evacuate, you create a nightmare.”

And during a record breaking flood, one expert said, inside a car is one of the most dangerous places to be, which complicates the decision to evacuate.

“People disproportionately die in cars from floods, so evacuation is not as straightforward a call as seems,” Marshall Shepherd, a program director in atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia, tweeted Sunday.

Still, reports and images from Houston and Harris County showed it was increasingly difficult for people to stay off the streets.

As The Washington Post reported, Texas officials had begun to get a sense of the full magnitude of the storm, including its effect on rivers and levees

People walk down a flooded street as they evacuate their homes after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas
Sgt. Chad Watts, of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, holds Madelyn Nguyen, 2, after he rescued her and her family by boat from floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey, which hit Texas last week as a Category 4 hurricane, in Houston, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017.
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas.

The Brazos River, which runs southwest of Houston, is expected to reach record heights in the coming days. National Weather Service models showed the river rising to 59 feet by Tuesday, topping the previous record of 54.7 feet.

“A flood of this magnitude is an 800-year event, and it exceeds the design specification of our levees,” Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert said in a statement Monday.

The National Weather Service — which tweeted the “beyond anything experienced” description that morning — was predicting that parts of Texas could receive nearly 50 inches of rain, the largest recorded total in the state’s history.

FEMA Administrator William “Brock” Long said Monday that Harvey could force 30,000 people into shelters, and he anticipated 450,000 people would seek some sort of disaster assistance.

“We have not seen an event like this,” he said. “You could not draw this forecast up. You could not dream this forecast up.”

[Trump praises storm response as millions brace for historic flooding]

Houston and Harris County officials who urged people to stay home before the storm may have been remembering that the city government was strongly criticized after the disastrous evacuation before Hurricane Rita in 2005.

In the hours before Rita struck the Houston area in September 2005, government officials issued an evacuation order, and some 2.5 million people hit the road at the same time, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Officials later reported more than 100 deaths connected to Hurricane Rita — and at least 60 of those deaths were linked the evacuation itself, according to a 2006 report to the Texas House of Representatives.

Dozens were injured or died of heat stroke waiting in traffic for nearly a full day. Fights broke out on clogged highways. A charter bus carrying people from a nursing home exploded on the side of Interstate 45, killing 24 people inside.

Meanwhile, the fear from Hurricane Rita turned out to be unfounded. It weakened from a Category 5 churning in the Gulf of Mexico to a Category 3 by the time it made landfall in East Texas — and resulted in a fraction of the damage and deaths as Hurricane Katrina, which had ravaged New Orleans three weeks earlier.

After Hurricane Rita, many in Houston returned to their homes after hours of languishing on the highway “and found the house was fine and the street wasn’t flooded,” according to Madhu Beriwal, the president and chief executive of IEM, a disaster planning and prevention company who has worked in Harris County. Her company wasn’t involved in planning for Hurricane Harvey, and she said she did not advise officials about whether to evacuate the city.

A rescue helicopter hovers in the background as an elderly woman and her poodle use an air mattress to float above flood waters in Houston, Texas on Aug. 27, 2017.
Residents use a truck to navigate through flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas on Aug. 27, 2017.

In evacuation planning, public officials are trying to find “the course of least regret,” Beriwal said. Traveling by car has inherent risks, and any mandatory evacuation order comes with the grim understanding that people will die trying to get out, she added.

“We know that there’s going to result in a certain number of deaths just by having so many people on the road,” Beriwal told The Post. “When you have evacuation traffic, it’s even more difficult, because you have people that are very vulnerable traveling. … The people that tend to die in bigger numbers (during evacuations) are generally the elderly — people that wouldn’t normally be on the road anyway.”

But no matter which path officials decide to take, Beriwal said, “It is always better to speak with one voice so people know what the officials think is the best thing to do.”

After Rita, officials began changing laws and government programs to improve future evacuations.

The state’s emergency management division began to work more closely with municipalities to coordinate hurricane response plans, the Texas Tribune reported, “including finding ways to restore power sooner.”

Lawmakers amended statutes to make it easier for emergency workers from other parts of the state to help during a crisis, the Tribune reported, and removed liability worries that hindered mutual aid.

Now, state and local authorities participate in drills to reverse the traffic flow on the highway to “ensure various agencies stay familiar with the process.”

On Monday, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo was asked by a Fox Business Network anchor whether it was a mistake not to order an evacuation ahead of Harvey.

“Oh lord, you know I love the backseat quarterbacks,” he said. “I absolutely support the decision of our mayor and the county judge to not evacuate. Where do you take … 6.5 million people, where do you send them? Especially in a state that is so prone to flash floods on our highways, we haven’t been able to get resources here because highways have been blocked throughout the state of Texas.

“So I don’t think they understand the complexity, they don’t understand just how widespread this entire emergency has been.”

Texas State Rep. Armando Walle, who represents a district that stretches from northern reaches of Houston into unincorporated parts of Harris County, told The Post on Monday the decision against ordering evacuations probably saved lives.

“You would have had a calamity of biblical proportions; that’s not an overstatement,” he said. “If you put 1 million cars on the road when every major road in this region is under water, it would have been a disaster. There are challenges in any disaster, but that decision not to call for mandatory evacuations was the right decision. I believe that you would have had thousands of people perish. … People have listened to their local leaders and are paying attention.”

♦ Culled from the Washington Post

Harvey death toll reaches 9 as flooding continues, plus photo gallery

HOUSTON — The remnants of Hurricane Harvey pelted Texas on Monday as forecasters warned that the soaking rains would continue for days and major flooding would spread to neighboring states.

Texas officials said that at least nine people had died statewide as a result of the storm, as floodwaters continued to turn streets into waterways and gush into buildings Monday, a full two days after Harvey made landfall. Authorities expect the death toll to rise as rescue efforts go on and as more rain, rising rivers and surging floodwaters pummel the Gulf Coast.

President Trump late Monday pledged swift action by the federal government to provide relief to states affected by Harvey, and he is scheduled to visit Texas on Tuesday.

Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today’s most popular stories on The Washington Post

“Recovery will be a long and difficult road, and the federal government stands ready, willing and able to assist in that effort,” he said during a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.

First responders and good Samaritans took to boats to rescue stranded residents, with authorities warning that more than 30,000 people across the region could be forced from their homes by the time skies are expected to clear later this week.

“We are not out of the woods yet,” Elaine Duke, the acting Homeland Security secretary, said during a Monday briefing in Washington. “Harvey is still a dangerous and historic storm.”

Fears also grew beyond Texas, with particular concern centering on flood-prone Louisiana, where forecasts have called for as much as two feet of rainfall in some areas. Trump on Monday declared “emergency conditions” in Louisiana, evoking memories of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

As if to underscore those fears, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers early Monday began releasing water from two Houston dams to relieve pressure from the downpour, which has deposited as much rain in a few days as the region averages in an entire year. Most of the damage in New Orleans wrought by Katrina occurred when levees burst, allowing waters to inundate the city.

New Orleans is under a tornado and flash flood watch until Thursday, and the National Weather Service forecasts that the city could see five to 10 inches of rain in the next few days.

The immediate focus for many remained on Houston, the country’s fourth-largest city and a sprawling metropolitan area that has seen its share of floods. But the deluge of the past two days is unprecedented.

Every major waterway in the city spilled over its banks. Gullies overflowed. Even neighborhoods far from a creek or bayou flooded. The hardest-hit areas were in the south and southeast, the downstream end of the waterways.

But the southwest will be the next theater for catastrophe. The Brazos River, which runs through Fort Bend County about 20 miles west of downtown Houston, has been swelling as the runoff from the storm collects in its banks. National Weather Service models showed the river rising to 59 feet by Tuesday, topping the previous record of 54.7 feet.

Fort Bend County Judge John Hebert warned Monday night that more than a hundred square miles along the river could flood overnight and into Tuesday as the river swells to unprecedented heights.

“They can guarantee we’ll have a record flood in for Bend County,” he said. “In areas under mandatory evacuation, the danger is very real.”

Authorities issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders for parts of that area and warned that anyone who ignores mandatory evacuation orders will not be aided by first responders when the waters rise. But with virtually all the main thoroughfares already closed because of high water, many of the affected residents saw no way out.

Kim Adoubeif, 60, was among about a dozen residents of the Greatwood subdivision who stood in the rain atop a levee on the Brazos River on Monday to gaze at the water and ponder their fate. She said she checked online traffic maps and couldn’t find a route to safety.

“Every way out, there are roads that are flooded,” she said, holding an umbrella against the rain. “So we might not even find a way out.”

In the River Park subdivision, Byron Golden, 60, and his wife planned to stay put in their home. Other neighbors had tried to leave, only to meet flooded roads separating them from Interstate 10, a main artery out of town.

“We did plan an escape route, but at this time it may be too late to leave,” Golden said. He figured it would be better to get caught in a flood in his two-story house than in his car on the road.

Golden and his wife spent the day putting important documents and sentimental possessions into plastic bags and carrying their important things upstairs.

Some who did evacuate ran into difficulties Monday as they tried to reach shelters. In north Houston, for example, rescuers who picked up people forced out of their drenched homes brought them to a fire station to be transported to the M.O. Campbell Center, a school gym and activity center that had been converted to a shelter.

But when the shelter reached capacity, its doors were shut, and at least 300 people were stranded at the fire station.

The horror stories led authorities to urge patience and persistence on the part of residents needing help.

“Please don’t give up on us. None of us are going to give up,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Monday.

One of the largest shelters, the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown, took in hundreds of evacuees Monday. Officials there said that people were lined up to take refuge and that Red Cross officials were prepared to accept 5,000 of them in total.

Among those helping with the rescue efforts alongside first responders were volunteers with boats. On Monday afternoon, dozens from both groups crowded near the Grand Vista subdivision on Harlem Road in the Brazos River area, on the edge of the water that stretched from the road to the rainy horizon.

Boats were unloading evacuees — among them the elderly and children — onto the road, then turning back into the flood.

“It messed me up seeing the kids and babies,” said Jorge Ramirez, 28, who brought over his Alumacraft flat-bottom boat after seeing on Facebook that folks were stuck in this neighborhood. “That’s who we’re trying to get out first.”

He said he’d made about five trips in four hours.

Authorities also faced new questions about whether they should have evacuated Houston. Asked Monday about the decision to recommend that people shelter in place rather than leave the city, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said there was no point in thinking about past decisions.

“We are where we are now,” he said.

In a sign of the growing federal response, the Department of Homeland Security said late Monday that it was activating a “surge capacity force” that would allow non-Federal Emergency Management Agency employees across the department to deploy to the storm zone to assist with recovery missions.

Abbott, a Republican, praised the federal government’s response to the disaster.

National Guard units from across the country had readied cargo jets and Black Hawk helicopters to help with the response, the Pentagon said Monday. FEMA said federal agencies have more than 5,000 employees working in Texas.

Abbott also said that a crisis continued to unfold in Rockport, Aransas Pass and other coastal communities that took the brunt of Harvey when it spun into land as a Category 4 hurricane. Local media reported that rescue workers were continuing the hunt for missing residents.

Of those confirmed dead late Monday, six were in Harris County, which includes Houston; one was in Rockport, near where Harvey made landfall; and another person was discovered in La Marque, near Galveston. Police said a woman in her 60s died in Porter, a town north of Houston; she was napping in her bedroom when a large oak tree landed on her mobile home.

Somashekhar and Berman reported from Washington. Emily Wax-Thibodeaux in Katy, Tex.; Ed O’Keefe, Wesley Lowery, Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Katie Zezima in Washington; Brittney Martin in Houston; Ashley Cusick in New Orleans; and Mary Lee Grant in Corpus Christi, Tex., contributed to this report.

Hurricane Harvey – mandatory evacuations for more counties

State Representative Shawn Thierry shares mandatory evacuations for more counties

Many of our counties are now under MANDATORY EVACUATION orders. You may have also heard that the Barker and Addicks dams have been labeled “extremely high risk of catastrophic failure.” Due to the torrential rains from Harvey, both of these dams are under pressure, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began releasing water from Addicks at 2 am Monday. They will also release waters from the Barker dam starting at 11 am TODAY. Both of these dams flow into Buffalo Bayou, which has already reached its limits. The releases are said to prevent uncontrollable flooding of the Houston metropolitan area and to avoid a Hurricane KATRINA type catastrophe.

For your assistance, I am providing the latest list of MANDATORY EVACUATIONS, that I have at my disposal as of right now, along with some of the suggested routes. People in mandatory evacuation areas need to be moving by 4 p.m. to either evacuate or get to a shelter.

________________________________________

BRAZORIA COUNTY – County Judge Matt Sebesta has issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION for all residents living WEST of State Highway 288 and SOUTH of State Highway 6.

An evacuation route has been established for State Highway 35 Westbound to Matagorda County to Northbound State Highway 71 reaching Interstate 10. Refer to map. THERE ARE NO OTHER EVACUATION ROUTES OUT OF BRAZORIA COUNTY. State Highway 35 WILL NOT be open indefinitely and will be unpassable with additional rains and river flooding. LEAVE NOW! Residents needing a place to go can shelter in Bell County. Self-Evacuation destination in Bell County will be the EXPO CENTER, 301 West Loop, Belton, Texas. Pets are welcome!
THE CITY OF DICKINSON – The City of Dickinson has issued a voluntary evacuation for residents with medical needs who live in low-lying area.
GALVESTON COUNTY – In Galveston County, Judge Mark Henry issued a voluntary evacuation for residents on Bolivar Peninsula effective Friday, Aug. 25 at 8 a.m. This order includes the unincorporated areas of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, High Island and Gilchrist. Residents who rely on medical assistance or those who cannot go without power for an extended period of time are encouraged to leave. On Galveston Island, residents west of the seawall are advised to evacuate. Mayor Carl Joiner called for a voluntary evacuation of Kemah.

Texas A&M University at Galveston will be evacuating their students, who have no place to go after the campus closes, to the Texas A&M University main campus in College Station, Texas at noon Friday.
HARRIS COUNTY – The City of Seabrook, Taylor Lake Village, and Nassau Bay have issued voluntary evacuation orders and all residents are urged to leave by noon Friday. In the Cities of El Lago, La Porte and Shoreacres voluntary evacuations began Friday morning.
JACKSON COUNTY – A voluntary evacuation order was issued for Jackson County.
LA MARQUE – La Marque Mayor Bobby Hocking signed a declaration of local disaster Thursday and enacted a voluntary evacuation for citizens with functional needs, citizens with medical needs and citizens in low lying areas. There is no mandatory evacuation at time.
MISSOURI CITY – Fort Bend County officials said Missouri City residents are under mandatory evacuations should leave at daylight. Judge Hebert said people in those evacuation zones need to plan an early day. If the forecast holds, by 3 p.m. authorities anticipate losing additional roads in Fort Bend County. Judge Hebert advised residents can’t go east into Houston, but they can still go north and west. Most roads going north to west are open right now, but they will start to close around 3pm due to high water.

SUGAR LAND – The Fort Bend County Judge’s Office says a mandatory evacuation has been issued for Sugar Land residents in First Colony Levee Improvement District #1 and those living within the Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District #7.

All other Sugar Land and ETJ residents within levee districts are under voluntary evacuations at this time, Judge Robert Hebert said.

If residents wait to leave, they will have to wind their way through many detours in the county. By 7pm or 8pm tonight, more roads will be covered with water. As many as 100 roads were already blocked as of 5am.

If everyone in both the mandatory and the voluntary evacuation orders left their homes, 130,000 people would be on the roads in Fort Bend County.

OUTER LYING COUNTIES:

ARANSAS PASS – Mandatory evacuation order issued
CALHOUN COUNTY – Mandatory evacuation order issued.

UPDATE 5:19 AM – CONROE – City officials say McDade Estates is under a mandatory evacuation, but are recommending residents in River Plantation, Woodhaven Forest, Artesian, Riverbrook Drive and Sherbrook Circle, neighborhoods off of FM 2854, and the neighborhoods downstream from McDade Estates.

FREEPORT – City officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation for all low-lying coastal areas, including Bridge Harbor. All other residents are also encouraged to evacuate.

MATAGORDA COUNTY – Everyone south of FM521 is included in the mandatory evacuation order, including the communities of Palacios, Collegeport, Matagorda, Sargent and Wadsworth.

ROSENBERG – Due to the potential serious threat of flooding and record high levels of the Brazos River, the City of Rosenberg has issued areas of mandatory evacuation for residents and visitors in parts of Rosenberg: West Street and Mulcahy Street, North of Avenue D

River Road area: All properties North of River Road, adjacent to the river
North of Brazos: all properties North of the Brazos River, within City limits
North Rosenberg: All properties East of 4th Street, North of Avenue B; all properties on 1st Street North of Avenue D.

________________________________________

Keep in mind that failure to obey an evacuation order can result in criminal penalties. As we prepare for the massive flooding impact in [Hurricane] Harvey, I am personally urging all constituents and Texans to please heed these warnings, follow your evacuation route, and avoid high water areas at all costs.

If you find yourself in need of a rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard Houston Command Center number is 281-464-4851.

The Influence of Love – Book on Emotional Complexities and Resolution debuts September

The Influence of Love, a life episodes of emotional complexities and resolution written by Nellie Onwuchekwa is ready for the bookstands. Written in episodes, this book uses true-life events to invoke the power of INFLUENCE in emotional entanglements. Passages accentuate the powerful dynamics of INFLUENCE, which directly affects decisions of partners in relationships. Each episode reflects individual emotional struggles, conflicts, and sometimes, painful resolution processes.

According to Onwuchekwa, “Man is a bundle of emotions. Our Emotions play critical roles on how we think and behave – and respond to stimulus or events around us…”

Of great importance is the author’s key principle that “a relationship without invisible underpinning influencing variables is chaff at best”. Enjoy exploring the depth of pain, emotion, pleasure, and rationality that form the building blocks of stable relationships via the Influence of Love.

According to Onwuchekwa, “Man is a bundle of emotions. Our Emotions play critical roles on how we think and behave – and respond to stimulus or events around us. Different interplays of elements impact our emotional responses, and influence the outcome of our relationships. Incidentally, emotions can be really complex, and, response to emotional stimuli – rational or irrational, may have life-changing impact on our lives.” The Influence of Love thus broadens the reader’s perspectives on complexities of Love and emotions; and offers positive resolution paths.

Nellie Roselynde Onwuchekwa, B.Sc. M.ILD, is Vice President of US-based Guardian Solutions and Group Chief Executive Officer of Afresh Group in Nigeria. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Nellie is the founder of Afresh Global Foundation and Chief Sponsor of ‘Emotionally Yours Show’ and ‘Growth Café Seminars’, which has provided learning for over 10,000 youths annually. She has continued to provide professional guidance and support for victims of emotional trauma.

Nellie Roselynde Onwuchekwa, B.Sc. M.ILD, is Vice President (Business Development) of US-based Guardian Solutions and Group Chief Executive Officer of Afresh Group in Nigeria. A Security and Risk Management Expert, Nellie spent 20 years managing threat matrixes, business integrity, compliance issues and environmental complexities in the Oil and Gas industry for Mobil Producing Nigeria, an ExxonMobil Subsidiary in Nigeria. Dealing with in Business Continuity Planning and Execution, Process and Compliance, Risk Management, Security Surveying and Designs, Project Management Assessment, Due Diligence Investigations and Personnel Background Vetting provided the basis for issues-centered ‘emotional escape program’ – the ‘Emotionally Yours Show’ on UNILAG FM. During the last ten years, Nellie has been committed to emotional counseling and supporting families undergoing various levels of emotional crisis.

An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Nellie is the founder of Afresh Global Foundation and Chief Sponsor of ‘Emotionally Yours Show’ and ‘Growth Café Seminars’, which has provided learning for over 10,000 youths annually. She has continued to provide professional guidance and support for victims of emotional trauma. Communications Director for Western Nigeria Union Conferences and Board Member of Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Nigeria, Nellie Onwuchekwa’s commitment to the development of Nigerian youth remains unparalleled.

Influence of Love is published by the American Journal of Transformational Leadership.

 

MO Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship Program for Africans, 2018

In this photograph supplied by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Mo Ibrahim presents the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership to the former Cape Verde President Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires in Tunis, Tunisia on Saturday Nov. 12, 2001. (Ons Abid /AP Images for the Mo Ibrahim Foundation)

Applications are invited for Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship Program available for young professionals, mid-career and new executives from Africa. The fellowships offer the opportunity to work in the executive offices of either the African Development Bank (Abidjan), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa) or the International Trade Centre (Geneva).

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims to support good governance and great leadership in Africa.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF) is an African foundation, established in 2006 with one focus: the critical importance of governance and leadership in Africa. It is their belief that governance and leadership lie at the heart of any tangible and shared improvement in the quality of life of African citizens.

Course Level: This one-year fellowship programme is available for young professionals, mid-career and new executives.

Study Subject(s): It is a leadership fellowship which allows talented individuals to increase and enhance their professional capacity, with the intention of contributing to the governance and development of their countries thereby creating a pipeline of future African leaders.

Scholarship can be taken in: The fellowships offer the opportunity to work in the executive offices of either the African Development Bank (Abidjan), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa) or the International Trade Centre (Geneva).

Eligibility: The Fellow must:

  • be national of an African country, residing anywhere in the world;
  • not be an active, non-active, retired, or separated staff member of the Bank;
  • not have close family relations with an active or non-active staff member, such as mother, father, sister  and brother;
  • Government officials, active military personnel and political party leaders are not eligible;
  • age limit is forty (40) years for men and women and forty-five (45) years for women with children;
  • hold a minimum of a Master’s Degree in Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences, International Development, Business Administration, Finance, Banking or any discipline relevant to the Bank’s business: such as outstanding academic credentials, relevant work experience, strong communication skills, demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work with others;
  • have at least 7 (seven) years’ work experience relevant to the Bank’s activities;
  • demonstrate proven leadership and consultative skills;
  • have experience in strategic planning and execution ;
  • demonstrate knowledge of contracting, negotiating, and change management;
  • have enhanced skills in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures;
  • have experience in formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures;
  • demonstrate ability to develop financial plans and manage resources;
  • demonstrate ability to analyze and interpret financial data;
  • top notch professional with private sector experience;
  • strong writing and analytical skills;
  • demonstrate ability to communicate and interact with officials at all levels of government and to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community;
  • demonstrate ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage several projects.

Nationality: MO Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship Program is open to citizens of Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Madagascar, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé & Príncipe, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Sudan (applicants also need to be national of one of AfDB member countries).

Duties and Responsibilities: The Ibrahim Leadership Fellow will take leadership guidance from the President, the Chief Operating Officer and/or a designated Representative. Administratively, the Fellow will be assigned to the Bank’s Strategy Department (STRG). With this guidance, the Fellow will contribute to the design and implementation of strategic assignments that will increase and enhance their professional and leadership capacity, with the intention of contributing to the governance and development of their countries. The Fellow will also have the following responsibilities:

  • Advise on and develop strategic initiatives to advance the Bank’s mission and objectives.
  • Plan, develop, and implement strategies for generating resources.
  • Conceive, develop and promote innovations in Bank development policies.
  • Review activity reports and financial statements to determine progress and status in attaining objectives and revise objectives and plans in accordance with current conditions.
  • Undertake other duties as assigned.

How to Apply: Prospective fellows who meet the eligibility criteria should apply direct to the relevant institution using the links below

The African Development Bank (AfDB)

Application link

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

UNECA vacancies page

The International Trade Centre (ITC)

Application link

Application Deadline: The application deadline is October 15, 2017.

Scholarship Link

Facebook Fellowship Program 2018 available globally for research students in computer science and engineering

Applications are invited for Facebook Fellowship Program available to Ph.D. students globally who are enrolled in an accredited university in any country. International and domestic students can apply for the facebook fellowship program.

The Facebook Fellowship Program is designed to encourage and support promising doctoral students who are engaged in innovative and relevant research in areas related to computer science and engineering.

Applicants from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there.

Course Level: Facebook Fellowship Program is open to Ph.D. students globally who are enrolled in an accredited university in any country.

Study Subject: Facebook is accepting applications from students with research related to one of the following areas:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Vision
  • Connectivity
  • Data Mining
  •  Databases
  • Distributed Systems, Networking & Operating Systems
  • Economics and Computation
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Machine Learning
  • Natural Language Processing & Speech Technologies
  • Programming Languages & Compilers
  • Security & Privacy
  • Social Computing
  • Software Engineering

Scholarship Award: It awards:

  • Tuition and fees will be paid for the academic year (up to two years).
  • $37K grants (one-time payment during each academic year).
  • Up to $5,000 in conference travel support.
  • Paid visit to Facebook HQ to present research.
  • Opportunity for a paid internship at Facebook. Facebook-fellowship-award-phd-program

Scholarship can be taken in USA and Overseas (The Fellowship Program is open to Ph.D. students globally who are enrolled in an accredited university in any country).

Eligibility: The following criteria must be met in order for applicants to be eligible for these fellowships:

  • Full-time Ph.D. students who are currently involved in on-going research.
  • Students work must be related to one or more relevant disciplines.
  • Students must be enrolled during the academic year(s) that the Fellowship is awarded.
  • The Fellowship Program is open to Ph.D. students globally who are enrolled in an accredited university in any country.

Nationality: International and domestic students can apply for these facebook fellowships.

College Admission Requirement

Entrance Requirements: Applicants must be full-time Ph.D. students who are currently involved in on-going research.

English language Requirements: Applicants from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there.

How to Apply: All applicants will need to use their Facebook account to apply. All application materials, including two letters of recommendation, will be due on November 1, 2016. Once applicants provide with their reference contact email, they will be sent an email with a link to submit their letter. Once they have submitted, the application page will show a “Received” message below their name. Applicants may resend the reminder email to their references from the application page if needed.

Application Deadline: All application materials, including two letters of recommendation, are due on October 31, 2017.

Scholarship Link

Gates Cambridge Scholarship for Postgraduate International Students in UK, 2018

Each year, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.

The aim of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university.

At Cambridge, Scholars pursue the full range of subjects available at the University and are spread through its departments and Colleges.

Course Level: Gates Cambridge Scholarship is available to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree (PhD, MSc or MLitt or one-year postgraduate course) in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

Study Subject (s): Gates Cambridge Scholarship is awarded to study any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

Scholarship Award: The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most generous international scholarships available. It covers the following costs:

Core components

  • the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
  • a maintenance allowance for a single student (£14,900 for 12 months at the 2017-18 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months)
  • one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
  • inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge

Discretionary components

The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:

  • Academic development funding – from £500 to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
  • Family allowance – up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2016-17 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
  • Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee).
  • Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties
  • Maternity/Paternity funding – should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
  • Some fourth year funding for PhD Scholars may be provided**

*The University Composition Fee varies for different types of students; applicants should see the Graduate Studies prospectus for full details about precise amounts. Where a student from the European Union has been successful in gaining a fees award from public authorities they must accept this and the Trust will not pay these fees.

** The PhD at Cambridge is a three-year degree and Gates Cambridge Scholars should take on a research project that they and their Supervisor think can be completed within three years. However, if there are unforeseen circumstances which mean you need further funding during all or part of your fourth year, the Trust will consider an application on a discretionary basis. But you should not rely on receiving any fourth year funding when you start your PhD.

Receiving a salary or substantial other scholarship?

If you are receiving a salary from an employer or have another substantial scholarship, the Trust reserves the right to reduce or not pay the standard maintenance allowance. You should let the Trust know ASAP if you are awarded any funding towards your degree at Cambridge.

What is not covered

Most costs are covered by the Scholarship but Gates Cambridge does not cover bench fees or the costs of scientific equipment or similar academic resources. The Trust expects such core course costs to be covered by the academic department at Cambridge.

Scholarship can be taken in the UK

Eligibility: You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

  • a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
  • applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
    • PhD (three year research-only degree)
    • MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree)
    • One year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)

You can use the form below to quickly check if you are eligible to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and, if so, in which of the two application rounds you must apply.

Current student at Cambridge?

If you are currently studying at Cambridge and wish to apply for a new postgraduate course you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. For example, if you are currently studying for an MPhil you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD. Current Gates Cambridge Scholars may also apply for a second scholarship if they are applying for a new degree. All current Cambridge students will be considered in round two. However, if you have already started a course you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the remainder of it.

College Admission Requirement

Entrance Requirement: Applicants must have their previous degree.

Test Requirement: No

English Language Requirements: Graduate Admissions Office or academic department may require some applicants to submit the following for admission to the University:

  • English language test scores (if English is not your first language)
  • A research proposal, an example of your written work, a GRE/GMAT score, etc. Not all applicants will be required to submit such documents

How to Apply: Applicants apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and admission to their chosen postgraduate course at the University of Cambridge and a Cambridge College via the Graduate Admissions Office, using the Graduate Application Form and supporting documents. It is not possible to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship without applying to the University of Cambridge. You must apply for admission as a postgraduate student at the University of Cambridge and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the same time, using the one application pack. To be considered for postgraduate admission and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship all applicants must submit the following documents to the Graduate Admissions Office by the relevant deadline:-

  • Graduate Application Form (which includes a Gates Cambridge section)
  • Academic transcripts
  • 2 academic references
  • 1 personal reference (for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship)

Application Deadline: The deadlines are as follows: Round 1 (US citizens based in the USA) – October 11, 2017 and Round 2 (all other eligible candidates) – Dependent on your course – either December 6, 2017 or  January 4, 2018.

Scholarship Link

Coast Guard asks people stranded by Harvey to call instead of posting on social media

Despite a request from the U.S. Coast Guard to call their Houston Command Center for rescue instead of posting on social media, many local residents stranded by Hurricane Harvey are still tweeting pleas for help.

Despite a request from the U.S. Coast Guard to call their Houston Command Center for rescue instead of posting on social media, many local residents stranded by Hurricane Harvey are still tweeting pleas for help. Some say they keep getting busy signals when calling the Coast Guard. Other Twitter users have also set up accounts specifically for directing rescuers to stranded people.

In a tweet posted Sunday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said if callers get a busy signal, they should keep trying. Several replies pointed out, however, that people running out of phone battery can’t keep waiting for someone to pick up.

The Coast Guard’s request is understandable because using social media as a platform for emergency calls can lead to calls for help getting overlooked, misidentification, the spread of false information and even fraud. For desperate people who can’t reach call centers or recharge their phones, however, social media may be one of the few options they have.

Social media requests for help have already helped some Hurricane Harvey victims, including residents of a flooded assisted living center in Dickinson, Texas.

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