(Houston) Neighborhoods of Houston, Texas, were flooded by heavy rains that have already led crews to rescue more than 400 people from homes, roofs and roads engulfed by murky water on Saturday. Others are preparing to evacuate their property.
Floodwaters inundated a wide area Saturday, from Houston to rural areas of East Texas, where game wardens navigated hovercrafts through waist-deep waters to rescue people and animals who were struggling. had not been evacuated in time.
One crew took a family and three dogs on board as rising waters surrounded their cars and homes. A flood watch will remain in effect until Sunday afternoon, while additional rainfall is expected Saturday evening in the soggy region, as is major flooding.
Friday’s severe storms led to numerous rescues, some from the roofs of flooded homes. Authorities stepped up efforts to ask residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning that the worst was yet to come.
“A lull in heavy rain is expected through (Saturday) evening,” according to the National Weather Service. “The next round of heavy rain is expected late (Saturday) into Sunday. »
Up to 3 inches of additional rain is expected, with up to 5 inches more possible in isolated areas.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Saturday that the area is expecting more rain Sunday and if it’s heavy, that could be problematic. Mme Hidalgo is the highest elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.
Houston authorities reported no deaths or injuries related to the flooding. The city of more than two million people is one of the most flood-prone metropolitan areas in the country and has a long history of dealing with devastating weather.
Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall on the region, flooding thousands of homes and leading to more than 60,000 rescues by government relief personnel throughout Harris County.
An area along the San Jacinto River in northeast Harris County is of particular concern. The river is expected to continue rising as rains intensify and authorities release additional water from an already full reservoir. Thursday, Mme Hidalgo issued a mandatory evacuation order for people living along parts of the river.
Most of Houston’s city limits were not heavily impacted by the weather. Authorities said the region experienced about four months of rain in one week.
The weather service said the river measured nearly 22.56 meters late Saturday morning after reaching nearly 23.7 meters. The rapidly changing forecast indicates the river is expected to fall to near flood level of 17.6 meters by Thursday.
The greater Houston area covers approximately 25,900 square kilometers, an area slightly larger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by approximately 2,736 kilometers of canals, streams and bayous that flow into the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 80 kilometers southeast of the city center.
The city’s system of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain heavy rains. But engineering initially designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep pace with the city’s growth and larger storms.