Thieves loot Houston home of elderly Hurricane Harvey victim with her body still inside

Thieves have struck the home of a Hurricane Harvey victim who "insisted" on riding out the storm in Houston, Texas.

Speaking to ABC13, paramedic Michele Poche, recalled events as they unfolded when the waters came to Meyerwood Drive. Sadly, her elderly neighbour, 90-year-old Agnes Stanley, lost her life.

"I knew my kids were safe. I wanted to take care of everyone else at that point. She had great difficulty getting around," Poche said.

"She was not ambulatory, neighbors brought her paper every day, brought her coffee, we all kind of pitched in to take care of her."

She had insisted on riding out the storm, and on 27 August, Poche called Stanley's son to get permission to break a window to gain access to the house. But it was too late.

"We saw that she was under the water, and we backed out and called 911," Poche said. "We think that the water got too high and she may have drowned." Harris County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that Stanley had died from drowning.

But Poche was most shocked to find that between the time that Stanley was discovered dead and when her body had been collected two days later, looters had raided the home.

"She was still in there," Poche said. "The coroner was not able to get in until Thursday to pick her body up. Yeah, they broke into her house and stole stuff, too."

It was confirmed on 4 September that 60 people have been confirmed dead, with the number expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.