HOUSTON Thousands of people awaited rescue on Monday as heavy rains poured into the area surrounding the nations fourth-largest city, worsening one of the most dramatic flooding disasters in recent U.S. history.

Over 30 inches of rain have fallen in some parts of southeast Texas since Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport on Friday evening, shattering several previous rainfall records , leaving at least 300,000 people without power, and causing damage that authorities predict will take years to fix.

The death toll rose on Monday to at least nine , after Texas officials reported to The Washington Post that six people died in Harris County and authorities in Montgomery County stated that a falling tree killed a woman after landing on her home. Two other victims were confirmed over the weekend.

Many highways and streets throughout the region are flooded, making normal travel impossible and forcing first responders to rescue more than 2,000 people over the weekend, with more expected throughout the week. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said the departments first priority was to complete 185 critical rescues with help from the 4,000 National and State Guard members activated for storm aid.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced on Monday that he had activated the states entire National Guard to help with disaster relief, increasing the total number of guardsman deployed to about 12,000.

Abbott said during a press conference later on Monday that the process of responding to the storm is only just beginning.

This is a place that Texas and FEMA will be involved for a long, long time. We will be here until we can restore this region as back to normal as possible, Abbott said.

We need to recognize that its going to be a new normal a new and different normal for this entire region.

The government also issued a mandatory evacuation order on Monday for several areas of Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston.

More flooding is ahead for the Houston region, forecasters warn, and an already dire situation could soon become desperate: An area the size of Connecticut is expected to receive at least another 20 inches of rain through Friday, though the rain is expected to let up intermittently through the week. Officials said that by the time the storm ends, Harvey could dump up to 50 inches of water on some parts of the affected area, which includes 54 counties.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long said he anticipates that at least 30,000 people in Texas will be displaced to temporary shelters.

This is a landmark event for Texas, Long said. Texas has never seen an event like this.