HOUSTON—Authorities lifted an evacuation order for the area surrounding a once-burning chemical plant and a major fuel pipeline reopened on Monday in signs that Texas was edging toward recovery from the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey.
The storm dumped some 50 inches of rain on the low-lying Gulf coastal region after coming ashore on Aug. 25, killing about 50 people and causing what the Texas governor said could be up to $180 billion in damage.
Flooding led to a series of fires at the Arkema SA chemical plant in Crosby, a town of about 2,300 people some 25 miles northeast of Houston. Containers of the chemicals, which are unstable if not kept refrigerated, started igniting on Thursday after power outages cut off cooling systems.
A fire burns at the flooded plant of French chemical maker Arkema SA in Crosby, Texas, U.S. August 31, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
