LAKE CHARLES, La./HOUSTON, Dhu-AlHijjah 09, 1438, August 31, 2017, SPA -- Tropical Depression Harvey weakened as it moved inland over Louisiana on Thursday, leaving behind record flooding that drove tens of thousands from their homes in Texas, Reuters reported. The death toll was rising as bodies were found in receding waters. A new threat came from explosions at a flood-hit chemical plant in Crosby, 30 miles northeast of Houston. The storm that paralyzed Houston is predicted to be one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history. The storm has killed at least 35 people and forced 32,000 people into shelters since coming ashore on Friday near Rockport, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico Coast. It was the most powerful hurricane to hit the state in half a century. The Houston Fire Department will begin a block-by-block effort on Thursday to rescue stranded survivors and recover bodies, Assistant Fire Chief Richard Mann told reporters. On Thursday Harvey is forecast to move northeast through Louisiana into Mississippi, dumping 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) of rain, the National Hurricane Center said. Flood watches and warnings extend from the Texas-Louisiana coast into Kentucky. Nearly 200,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana and Texas were without power on Thursday, utilities reported. --SPA 13:45 LOCAL TIME 10:45 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w478577