Catherine Rusoff
A flood warning remained in effect for parts of southeast Texas on Sunday, with forecasters expecting several more inches of rain and potentially serious runoff across a huge area that in total covers more than 100 square miles and includes the city of Houston. The densely populated metropolitan center is home to more than 2 million people and has been deluged by consistent, heavy rain. Accomplished crews hundreds of water rescues in Houston and surrounding neighborhoods early in the weekend.
Flood warnings are issued when a mix of weather hazards create favorable conditions for flooding, but they do not necessarily mean that flooding is imminent in a particular region. A flood warning currently in effect for Harris County — which includes Houston through College Station — was set to remain in effect through Sunday night. It also extended eastward from greater Houston toward the Gulf Coast.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap
Forecasters warned people within flood watch limits to prepare for additional periods of rain and thunderstorms overnight Saturday and throughout the day Sunday, after previous rounds of heavy rain soaked the area and submerged a large portion of the area. of land in high, murky waters.
Crews had already rescued more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads as of Saturday as neighborhoods flooded around Houston, the Associated Press reported, while others prepared to evacuate. Judge Lina Hidalgo, the highest official in Harris County, where Houston is located, said at the time that 178 people and 122 pets were rescued in that jurisdiction alone. No deaths or injuries related to the severe weather were reported in Houston.
Lekan Oyekanmi/AP
People still under flood watches in southeast Texas were bracing for an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain on Sunday, although the National Weather Service said larger amounts – possibly up to 20 centimeters – could end up happening in some places.
Ongoing flooding along the San Jacinto River was the main cause for concern, as rains caused water levels to exceed capacity. Houston police shared a video on social media which showed a police officer rescuing a man and three dogs who were trapped in 8- to 10-foot floodwaters Saturday morning. The rescue took place at a trailer park along a stretch of the San Jacinto River near Lake Houston, police said.
“Excessive runoff has resulted in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying, flood-prone locations, particularly urban areas,” the National Weather Service said in its latest advisory, noting that river flooding continued into Sunday morning and varied moderate to greater depending on location.
A severe weather forecast issued for the same region noted that localized flash flooding was also expected, “especially for areas that have already received heavy rainfall in recent days.” As a result, strong and potentially damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes could also occur, according to the weather service. The heaviest precipitation was forecast for the morning.
Southeast Texas has been hit hard by heavy rains over the past week, with Houston and surrounding neighborhoods feeling the brunt of the impacts. Hidalgo announced Thursday that he had signed a disaster declaration for Harris County after the area received more rain than expected the night before, putting communities near the San Jacinto River at particular risk, CBS affiliate KHOU reported. But the storms have endangered people living in watersheds much further inland for days, and the disaster declaration for Harris County came the same day Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a broader disaster declaration to include the state’s 88 counties in total.
