The Houston area faces an increasing risk of flooding this Saturday, a day after strong storms hit the region. Authorities warned those in low-lying areas to evacuate ahead of an expected “catastrophic” rise in water.
A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday afternoon, with forecasters predicting additional rainfall this Saturday night, which could add between 2.5 and 3 inches of water to the already saturated region, increasing the risk of significant flooding. .
Friday’s storms led to numerous rescues in flooded areas, including from the roofs of homes. Authorities reiterated the urgency of evacuating residents in low-lying areas, warning that the worst was yet to come.
“This threat continues and is going to get worse. “It’s not your typical river flood,” said Harris Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.
He stressed that this threat was not a typical flood, describing the projected rise in water as “catastrophic” and noting that hundreds of structures were at risk of flooding.
At least two dozen water rescues were conducted in the county, along with the rescue of 30 pets. Schools in flood-prone areas canceled classes and streets became clogged as authorities closed flooded roads.
Torrential rains in Texas and parts of Louisiana in recent weeks have filled reservoirs and saturated the ground. Flooding partially submerged vehicles and roads this week in parts of southeast Texas, north of Houston, where water reached the roofs of some homes.
More than 11 inches of rain fell during a 24-hour period ending Friday morning in the northern Houston suburb of Spring, according to the National Weather Service.
In the rural community of Shepherd, Gilroy Fernandes said he and his wife had about an hour to evacuate after a mandatory exit order. His house is on stilts near the Trinity River and they were relieved when the water began to recede Thursday.
Then the danger increased when they slept.
“The next thing I knew, overnight they started releasing more water from the Livingston Dam. And that caused the river level to rise almost 5 or 6 feet during the night,” Fernandes explained. Residents who left an hour later were stuck in traffic due to flooding.
In Montgomery County, Judge Mark Keough said there have been more high-water rescues than he could count.
“We estimate we’ve had a couple hundred rescues from homes, houses and vehicles,” Keough added.
Houston authorities had reported no deaths or injuries. The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metropolitan areas in the country and has long experience dealing with devastating weather.
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