Massive Rainfall Makes Hurricane Harvey One of Most Epic Storms in U.S. History

As the full toll of Hurricane Harvey is still yet to be tallied, the storm has already been referred to as an "epic" storm that "has no rival" in terms of rain volume discharged by a single storm in U.S. history - as reported by the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday.  Christian ministries have actively responded with support for those in need.

The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center released Tuesday afternoon rainfall numbers with Cedar Bayou, an area near Houston, topping 51 inches from the storm. Mary's Creek, another area southeast of Houston, had received record-level rain at over 49 inches as of Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"In terms of sheer volume of rainfall over a limited area, Hurricane Harvey was record-breaking. By my estimate, never before has a single rainfall event produced such a deluge anywhere in the U.S.," wrote John Nielsen-Gammon, the regents professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, in Fortune on Tuesday. 

Some areas of this storm are experiencing a rainfall event so massive it is to be expected only once every 1,000 years, stated The Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Twitter.

Residents in parts of the city are gearing up for more flooding as The U.S. Army Core of Engineers has stated additional homes may be impacted by floods as it releases water from two Houston dams overwhelmed by the rain over the past several days.

Meanwhile, other residents on Tuesday praised the appearance of the sun, a welcome sight after rainstorms had blanketed the city for days.

"I've never been this happy to see the sun," wrote Instagram user jpinstah.

Another user said, "The sun will rise tomorrow and Texas will recover stronger than ever."

Christian ministries and churches have been active responders trying to help support those in emergency need.  On Saturday, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team released a statement as the ministry moved into action to lend help.

"Though we all anticipated the impact of Harvey, there's no way to overstate the ferocity of a storm like this," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, in a statement.  

"We're praying for those who have been devastated by the hurricane, and we'll be there to offer the hope and comfort of Christ to those who are hurting."

As of Wednesday morning, more rain is expected for Texas and Louisiana as the storm continues moving along the Gulf coast.