In August 2017, just after Hurricane Harvey made landfall and inundated Houston with record rainfall and flooding, celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, which is based in the region, drew criticism for not making itself available to people affected by the storm. 
 
 On 27 August, the church posted: 
 
 Dear Houstonians! Lakewood Church is inaccessible due to severe flooding! We want to help make sure you are safe. Please see the list below for safe shelters around our city, and please share this with those in need! 
 
 A day later, a post on Lakewood’s blog read, in part: 
 
 Over the last couple of days, as the enormity of this storm was being realized, we have been working to organize relief efforts for the Houston area with our friend Franklin Graham and the disaster relief organization that he oversees, Samaritan’s Purse. Samaritan’s Purse has been, since it’s inception, organized to respond to situations just like Hurricane Harvey, and we are grateful to be able to partner with them to provide assistance to the Houston area. We know the need is great. That much is clear. We do not yet know all the ways we can help. 
 
 The church reportedly seats more than 16,000 people. 
 
 Osteen, whose own Houston home is worth a reported $10.5 million, has not made any comments regarding possible flooding near the church. A map of the area surrounding the church shows it is under a flood advisory, but not a warning. (Houston police told us that they have no pending calls from the area.) 
 
 Several Twitter users have posted pictures questioning the church’s statement, including an image posted by writer Charles Clymer that was apparently taken from near the church showing no flooding near the building. Popular vlogger Keaton Milburn responded: 
 
 maybe your anonymous source would like to see these photos. ones of the church actually flooding. know your facts first 
 
 The caption on the photos, though, suggest that they were taken near the church, not inside the facility itself. Another Twitter user posted pictures of her own showing no apparent street flooding near the church: 
 
 Clymer also posted pictures from a third user which purportedly showed no flooding near either the church’s near entrance or loading docks: 
 
 Another local man, Jorge Colmenares, posted a video on Facebook showing a lack of flooding in a garage he identified as belonging to the church. The footage has received more than 70,000 views. He told us: 
 
 I was doing recon around my surrondng area and checking up on my work location. Lakewood is always on my route. I was expecting to see flood in the garage area but it wasn’t at all. 
 
 However, he added, “Lakewood and it’s surrounding area was legit flooded out” on 26 August 2017, shortly before the calls began for Osteen to make the church available. Colmenares said he had seen pictures online reflecting effects on the church: 
 
 The church was flooded on the inside, garage level, basement level, not where the main floors are. It’s a huge place. 
 
 We contacted the church seeking additional details about why it was inaccessible — for example, if there was possibly flooding nearby or damage to the building — but we have yet to receive a response. However, Osteen did put up the following tweet: 
 
 Our hearts break as we see the damage and destruction in our city. Please join us in helping Houston recover. Visit https://t.co/jXMX5VB3qS pic.twitter.com/00HtzOmeQL — Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) August 28, 2017 
 
 The tweet linked to the following statement: 
 
 Dear Lakewood Church family, We want to let you know that our hearts are with each of you and your families during this difficult time. We are praying for you and we are praying for our city, and for all of those affected by the devastating flooding and rains caused by Hurricane Harvey. We love you and we love this city. And we want to help. Over the last couple of days, as the enormity of this storm was being realized, we have been working to organize relief efforts for the Houston area with our friend Franklin Graham and the disaster relief organization that he oversees, Samaritan’s Purse. Samaritan’s Purse has been, since it’s inception, organized to respond to situations just like Hurricane Harvey, and we are grateful to be able to partner with them to provide assistance to the Houston area. We know the need is great. That much is clear. We do not yet know all the ways we can help. However if you would like to register to volunteer with us, please do so by clicking the link below. Or, if you would like to donate to our relief efforts, please do so here in this page. We are working just as fast as we can on this and will update you with more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, know that our prayers for strength and comfort for each of you will continue, as well as our prayers for God’s help as we navigate the upcoming days and months together. We love you. And we are praying. Together, we will make it through this difficult time. 
 
 Osteen and the church later released a second statement: 
 
 We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of thris storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives. 
 
 Clymer also posted a picture of what he described as “countless air mattresses” bought by the church, saying that it was “prepping to open its doors”. 
 
 On 29 August 2017, the church confirmed on Twitter that it was open to evacuees and taking in supplies. 
 
 Lakewood is receiving people who need shelter. We are also coordinating with the city as a collection site for distribution. Lakewood is also collecting diapers, baby formula, baby food and other supplies. Please bring these items to Lakewood at Circle Drive. 

 Hurricane Harvey has dumped over 30 inches of rain throughout parts of southeast Texas since it made landfall Friday evening. The storm and ensuing flooding have left at least 300,000 people without power and roughly 30,000 displaced to temporary shelters. 
 
 Thousands of people were still awaiting rescue as of Monday night. 

 Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church answers why it isn't open as a shelter for Harvey flooding victims 
 
 Photos provided to Chron.com show Lakewood on the brink of flooding following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey this past weekend. Photos provided to Chron.com show Lakewood on the brink of flooding following heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey this past weekend. Photo: Lakewood Church Photo: Lakewood Church Image 1 of / 103 Caption Close Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church answers why it isn't open as a shelter for Harvey flooding victims 1 / 103 Back to Gallery 
 
 UPDATE: As of noon Tuesday, Lakewood has formally opened its doors to people seeking shelter from Tropical Storm Harvey. See the story here. 
 
 Following claims from around the internet that Lakewood Church, and its leader, Joel Osteen, weren't doing anything for the victims of Tropical Storm Harvey, the organization is speaking out Monday night to try and set the record straight. 
 
 Two media giants, the New York Post and New York Daily News, gave credence to angry Twitter users and other media personalities questioning the megachurch for not opening its doors to people forced from their homes from flooding. 
 
 Now Playing: 
 
 Don Iloff, spokesman for Lakewood, told Chron.com late Monday night that the church has never been closed during Harvey and staff was instructed to aid anyone who came to their doors looking for help. 
 
 WHERE TO GO: Here is the full list of shelters in the Houston area during Harvey 
 
 "It's not our unwillingness, it's just practicality. It's been a safety issue for us," Iloff said, adding that Harvey's heavy rainfall almost spilled over Lakewood's floodgate this past weekend. "Lakewood Church has a heart for this city." 
 
 Osteen echoed Iloff's comment Tuesday morning, claiming Lakewood never closed its doors and "will continue to be a distribution center for those in need" and is "prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity," according to the Associated Press. 
 
 Later Tuesday morning, Lakewood said it is now "receiving people who need shelter. We are also coordinating with the city as a collection site for distribution," it said on Twitter. 
 
 The church will be open Tuesday at noon to collect baby food, baby formula, baby diapers, and adult diapers on behalf of the city. Lakewood was in communication with the city today and said it would shelter Harvey victims once other shelters are full, Iloff said. 
 
 As of noon Tuesday, Lakewood has formally opened its doors to people seeking shelter from Harvey. 
 
 A photo appearing to show air mattresses lined up inside Lakewood went viral Monday night. It was provided to writer and Army veteran Charles Clymer by someone working for Lakewood, Cylmer told Chron.com. 
 
 HELPING HAND: How you can help victims of Hurricane Harvey 
 
 Iloff could not confirm Monday night if the mattresses belonged to the church but said Lakewood has already began preparing to host people displaced by Harvey. 
 
 
 
 On Sunday evening, Lakewood Church, Joel and Victoria Osteen all tweeted to raise money toward Samaritan's Purse, an organization that raises funds to help communities in natural disasters like Harvey, but no word on whether they would open the church's doors. 
 
 On the Lakewood Church website, a post was shared to promote the fundraising effort, saying in part: 
 
 "Over the last couple of days, as the enormity of this storm was being realized, we have been working to organize relief efforts for the Houston area with our friend Franklin Graham and the disaster relief organization that he oversees, Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse has been, since its inception, organized to respond to situations just like Hurricane Harvey, and we are grateful to be able to partner with them to provide assistance to the Houston area." 
 
 TRAGIC: Cajun Navy volunteers attacked in Houston while helping Harvey victims 
 
 As Tropical Storm Harvey continues to dump historic levels of rain across Houston, thousands of residents have been displaced from their homes. 
 
 The church, which was once Houston's Compaq Center, can house more than 16,000 people at a time. 
 
 

 Droves of people stranded and displaced by deadly Hurricane Harvey are being transported to nearby evacuation centers and shelters around the Houston area. 
 
 Interested in Hurricane Harvey? Add Hurricane Harvey as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Hurricane Harvey news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest 
 
 As masses arrived on the back of city dump trucks -- by boat, by bus and some by foot to downtown Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center -- they were met with cots, blankets, towels, food and medical attention. 
 
 The American Red Cross has set up stations inside the convention center to serve as an acting hospital, hotel and food court for those seeking refuge. The center had about 8,800 people inside as of early Tuesday morning, topping the original capacity of 5,000. 
 
 #RedCross is providing shelter, meals & comfort to people impacted by #Harvey. To find a location: https://t.co/sizEp51qtg or 1-800-REDCROSS pic.twitter.com/jfewo2EJh0 — American Red Cross (@RedCross) August 28, 2017 
 
 ABC Houston station KTRK-TV has a full list of all designated multiservice centers in the surrounding areas. 
 
 City officials announced that in the past 24 hours there have been 4,000 water-related incidents and 290 water rescues. 
 
 Creating a sense of stability for survivors is the top priority for now, emergency administrator Brock Long of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said. 
 
 "Once we move them we’re able to extract them from different areas; we've got to get them into shelters,” Long said in a news conference this morning. “This shelter rescue is going to be a very heavy lift. We're anticipating 30,000 people placed in shelters temporarily to basically stabilize the situation and provide for their care.” 
 
 Texas asked for a presidential disaster declaration, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration director Louis Uccellini, which President Trump enacted to help mobilize all resources to help when the state's resources are depleted. 
 
 "Underneath the president's disaster declaration, we have turned on what we call individual assistant programs,” Uccellini said. “We are expecting, based on this event, over 450,000 potential registers of disaster victims. That is a huge number but we are ready to go, process. We've already processed nearly 15,000 calls over the last 24 hours.” 
 
 ABC News Karma Allen contributed to this report. 

 Tweet with a location 
 
 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
– Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch lives up to the "mega" part of its name: It's the former home to the NBA's Houston Rockets and boasts a seating capacity of more than 16,000—space that some feel would best serve as a shelter for Hurricane Harvey evacuees. ABC News reports that in response to these calls, the church issued the following statement Sunday on Facebook: "Lakewood Church is inaccessible due to severe flooding! We want to help make sure you are safe. Please see the list below for safe shelters around our city, and please share this with those in need!" The response didn't go over well, particularly after Houstonians started posting photos around the church that indicated it wasn't flooded. Snopes fact-checked the situation and found it a mixture of true and false. Snopes rounds up tweets that suggest the area was flooded earlier, and that roads around it might be experiencing flooding. HuffPost suggests something similar via reports from freelance reporter Ruth Graham, who says a rep told her the church wasn't flooded but nearby roads were, which would make accessing it challenging. Lakewood sent photos to ABC News that it says show flooding in and around its facility, and also a statement that reads in part, "We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity." A rep for the church echoed that to the Chronicle, saying preparations are being made to host the displaced. A FEMA rep tells ABC it's expecting 30,000 will need shelter; the city's convention center is already 2,000 over its shelter capacity of 5,000.