Hurricane Harvey: 311,000 apply for government aid

US Vice President Mike Pence has announced that some 311,000 people, who were affected by the catastrophic Hurricane Harvey that lashed through the state of Texas, have registered for government disaster assistance.

"We are here today. We will be here tomorrow. And we will be here every day until this city and this state and this region rebuild bigger and better than ever before," Pence said on Thursday after visiting several parts of the state battered by the hurricane.

He also expressed the government's desire to work fast on the approval of financial aid for people and businesses affected by the disaster, reports Efe news.

Pence took the occasion to confirm that US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania would be back in the area on Saturday.

The ongoing floods in Texas, one of the most devastating in US history, have left more than 30,000 people evacuated and about 40 dead so far, although it is feared that the death toll will continue to rise.

The hurricane made landfall in Texas on August 25.