Houston, Texas Flooding Situation
High waters have flooded neighborhoods around Houston, Texas, on Saturday following heavy rains as crews rescued over 400 people from homes, rooftops, and highways.
Flood Watch and Predictions
A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night and the likelihood of major flooding in Harris County, the nation’s third-largest county, which includes Houston and nearby areas.
“A lull in heavy rain is expected through [Saturday] evening,” the National Weather Service reported. “The next round of heavy rainfall is expected late [Saturday] into Sunday.”
Up to 3 inches of additional rain was expected, with up to 5 inches possible in isolated areas.
Rescue Efforts and Evacuations
Houston authorities have not reported any deaths or injuries. Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s top elected official, said Saturday that 178 people and 122 pets had been rescued so far in the county.
A wide region has been swamped from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing people and pets who did not evacuate in time.
Officials redoubled urgent instructions for residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning the worst was still to come.
Impact and Response
For weeks, drenching rains in Texas and parts of Louisiana have filled reservoirs and saturated the ground. Floodwaters partially submerged cars and roads this week across parts of southeastern Texas, north of Houston, reaching the roofs of some homes.
More than 21 inches fell over a five-day period through Friday in Liberty County near the city of Splendora, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Houston, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials said the area received about four months’ worth of rain in about a week’s time.
Challenges and Concerns
Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country. The city of more than 2 million people has long experience dealing with devastating weather.
Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release water from a full reservoir.
The system of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain heavy rains, but the engineering initially designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep up with the city’s growth and bigger storms.
