ORANGE, Texas Harveys floodwaters are receding in Houston, but the swath of Texas from the city toward the Gulf of Mexico remained largely under water and in dire straits Friday, a week after the storm first made landfall.

In Orange, near the border with Louisiana, floodwater was still rising on Thursday after authorities released water from the Toledo Bend reservoir and ordered a mandatory evacuation of nearby low-lying areas .

Rescuers from the National Guard gathered Friday at the Orange County Emergency Services building on Highway 90, preparing to set out in tactical vehicles to reach people stranded in their homes. Five National Guard trucks, two large boats and two inflatable Zodiac watercraft were ready to deploy, as were members of volunteer rescue teams and state wildlife officials. Teams were preparing to head into small towns across the coastal region places like Bridge City and Rose City.