HOUSTON (AP) — More storms were moving through the area Already saturated Houston area Where flooding occurred on Sunday heavy rain Hundreds of people were rescued from homes, rooftops and roads.
“Rain is expected throughout the day, with some storms potentially producing heavier downpours,” said Haley Adams, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
For the past week, Areas near Lake Livingston, northeast of Houston, received more than 20 inches (50 centimeters), while areas in northeast Harris County received as much as 12 inches (30 centimeters) during the period, she said. Ta. , the third largest county in the United States, including Houston.
Adams said the coming storm into Sunday could bring up to 3 inches of rain, with up to 8 inches in some areas.
“It’s going to continue to rise,” said Miguel Flores Jr., who lives in the Kingwood neighborhood in northeast Houston. “We don’t know beyond that. We’re just preparing for the worst.”
Houston officials have not reported any deaths or injuries as large areas from Houston to rural East Texas are flooded.
Evacuation due to flood
Most weekends, Flores’ father, Miguel Flores Sr., spends most weekends mowing the vast 1-hectare (2.5-acre) backyard behind his home in Kingwood. But on Saturday, he and his family loaded clothing, small appliances and other items into several cars.
Water from the San Jacinto River was already engulfing the backyard, rising from about 1 foot above the garden on Friday to about 4 feet the next day. .
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens use boats to rescue residents from flooding in Liberty County, Texas, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)
Authorities double down on emergency orders for residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning the worst is yet to come as storms force numerous high-water rescues, including from the roofs of flooded homes did.
Greg Moss, 68, stood by his golf cart late Saturday afternoon, staring at the several feet of water that covered the road leading to his home in Channelview, a community in eastern Harris County near the San Jacinto River. Ta.
Moss managed to pack up most of his belongings and leave on Saturday before the roads were flooded.
“We’re going to be stuck for four days,” Moss said. “Now we can at least go get something to eat.”
He moved his belongings and car to a neighbor’s house and plans to stay there until the water recedes. Moss said his home is on higher ground so he is not worried about flooding.
Houston is prone to flooding
Houston is one of the most flood-prone metropolitan areas in the country. The city of more than 2 million people has years of experience dealing with devastating weather.
hurricane harvey Abandoned in 2017 historic rainfall Thousands of homes were flooded, resulting in Over 60,000 people rescued By government rescue workers throughout Harris County.
The greater Houston region covers approximately 10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometers), an area slightly larger than New Jersey. It is located approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of downtown and is crisscrossed by approximately 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) of waterways, streams, and bayous that empty into the Gulf of Mexico.
Systems of bayous and reservoirs were built to drain heavy rain, but the engineering first designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep up with urban growth and larger storms.
Couple Aaron Brown, 45, and Jamie Brown, 41, were two of many residents who drove or walked to see rising waters near a flooded intersection near the San Jacinto River. Nearby restaurants and gas stations began to flood.
Miguel Flores Sr. stands in a flooded backyard outside his home in the Kingwood neighborhood in northeast Houston on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Officials said the region received about four months’ worth of rain in about a week. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano)
What to expect next
National Weather Service meteorologist Adams said the rain in the area is expected to ease by the evening. But residents recovering from flooding must then contend with heat and humidity.
She said heat index levels could reach triple digits in the region this week due to lingering moisture from the rain and temperatures above 90 degrees F (32 degrees C).
“Be careful of rising temperatures, heat exhaustion, and heat stress,” she says.
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Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.
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Follow Juan A. Lozano on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
