Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday that donations via iTunes, combined with employee contributions, have now raised more than $1 million for Hurricane Harvey relief. That's in addition to the $2 million Apple itself donated, and the company is matching employee donations two-for-one.
"Because Texas is home to more than 8,700 of our coworkers, the storm's impact is felt by all of us," Cook said in an e-mail to employees obtained by Axios. "There's still much to do, and Apple is committed to help."
It's day six of what now is Tropical Storm Harvey. The record-breaking storm headed toward southwest Louisiana Wednesday morning, making its second landfall at 4 a.m. It has also been pounding the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Texas, with intense overnight rain leaving the region underwater. Emergency rescuers are continuing to work overtime as heavy rain and extreme flooding continue to soak the region.
The human toll, by the numbers: Local officials in Texas have reported at least 31 people have died, while thousands are left homeless and seeking refuge in overflowing disaster relief shelters. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 32,000 people were reported staying in shelters, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Meanwhile, 14,000 national guardsmen have been deployed in Texas, and 10,000 more are on their way.
Record rain: With 51.88 inches of rain recorded near Mont Belvieu, Texas, Tropical Storm Harvey has broken the 48-inch record for rainfall in the continental U.S., and may break the record of 52 inches in Hawaii. But the danger is far from over. The National Hurricane Center warned Wednesday that "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding will continue in and around Houston eastward into southwest Louisiana for the rest of the week."
Billionaire Warren Buffett, who owns Geico and several other insurers, said on CNBC that damages from Harvey in Texas are "staggering" and that the "insured loss will be large." He noted "there will be a lot of uninsured loss, too."
He said for Geico customers, he suspects most of the losses will be total losses.
Why it matters: According to an AP investigation, "Houston's Harris County has 25,000 fewer flood-insured properties than it did in 2012," a 9% drop in coverage. That means many residents seeking refuge from Harvey will be forced to use savings, take on debt, or even sell to deal with damages.
Bonus Buffett quotes, per CNBC: "I would guess we're in a 2 percent growth economy now ... Every now and then we think it's accelerating. And every now and then that maybe there's a double dip or something. It just seems to be a couple of percent."
United Technologies is getting close to a deal to purchase Rockwell Collins, a corporate acquisition that looks set to combine two of the world's largest manufacturers of airplane equipment, per the WSJ.
By the numbers: United Technologies — worth about $92 billion — looks set to purchase Rockwell for about $140 per-share, which would make the deal worth more than $20 billion.
Why it matters: It'd be the biggest aerospace/defense acquisition deal in history, according to a Reuters analysis. It shouldn't spark any antitrust concerns — United Technologies makes jets, wheels, and landing gear while Rockwell focuses on displays and communications tech — but it might spook Boeing and Airbus somewhat to see their suppliers merging, especially as they both plan to expand further into the aftermarket space for parts.
Amateur radio operators, or ham radio operators, have stepped up after electricity and cell towers in Hurricane Harvey's path shut off.
What they're doing: These radio enthusiasts have been using their hobby and expertise to help emergency responders, hospitals, and shelters communicate by sending important data about barometric pressure, damages, wind speed, and wind direction to help response efforts.
"The saying for Ham radio is that when all else fails you have to rely on amateur radio," — John Newman, Ham Radio Operator, told EastTexasMatters.com.
Why it matters: 320, or 4%, of the 7,804 cell sites in the region are out of service, the WSJ reports. And although most cell towers have backup batteries, they only last about 8 hours, and if they're flooded or their equipment is blown away, they're toast.
Tech companies are kicking into gear to help residents dealing with Harvey to make communication easier. Here's what they're doing:
Comcast opened about 53,000 Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots around Houston to help people keep connected online even if they're not customers.
The four national wireless carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile) are offering free calls and sometimes data for those in the path of Harvey.
Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature to allow affected users to check in with their networks.
Google has deployed a Google map focused on road closures, traffic incidents, and shelters in the area.
Uber is offering free rides to/from shelters in affected areas.
Users on Snapchat have been posting and learning from one another about updates on power outages. Snap told Fast Company it saw an uptick in usage over the weekend.
Donation efforts…Amazon and Whole Foods are matching donations made through Amazon to the Red Cross, up to $1 million.Microsoft announced it is giving an "initial" $100,000 grant to the Red Cross.Facebook is now matching every dollar raised on Facebook up to $1 million for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund, which supports local recovery and rebuilding efforts.Apple has a button on iTunes allowing users to make donations to Red Cross.Red Cross is and short codes to help make donating easier.
The rainfall brought on by Harvey has set a new record for the continental United States, dumping more than 50 inches of rain on parts of Houston. That has resulted in catastrophic flooding, evidenced by river gauges in the city reporting severe flood levels and a nearby levee failing under intense pressure.
Before it ends its mission to Saturn by intentionally hurling itself into the planet's atmosphere on Sept. 15, the Cassini spacecraft will complete a series of measurements announced today by NASA.
Sept. 11: Flyby of Saturn's moon Titan that will put the spacecraft into its final plunge.
Sept. 13 and 14: Final photos taken (including of Earth and the very last will be of the propellers) and transmitted to Earth.
Sept. 14 and 15: Eight onboard instruments will be sampling the upper atmosphere of Saturn during the final plunge.
Early morning Sept. 15: Loss of signal about 950 miles above Saturn's cloud tops. Seconds later it will melt from temperatures of 200 - 500°C.
Since Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, there has been a constant stream of reports of people helping one another. A news team helped save a truck driver stuck in his cab, NPR reports two women saved tied-up dogs, another man brought his boat to "save some lives."
Here are some other groups sending aid and collecting donations:
President Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump will be on the ground in Texas today for five hours, with stops in Corpus Christi and Austin for briefings on Harvey relief and response. Your quick catch-up on one of the landmark human and economic tragedies of our lifetimes:
AP latest: "[O]fficials acknowledge the grim reality that fatalities linked to Harvey could soar once the devastating floodwaters recede from one of America's most sprawling metropolitan centers."
The scale — N.Y. Times: "Local, state and federal officials conceded that the scale of the crisis was so vast that they were nowhere near being able to measure it, much less fully address it ... just the start of a disaster that would take years to overcome."
