HOUSTON — High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water. Others prepared to evacuate their property.
Floodwaters inundated a wide region Saturday, from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing both people and pets who did not evacuate in time. One crew brought a family and three dogs aboard as rising waters surrounded their cars and home. A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night to the soaked region and the likelihood of major flooding.
Aron Brown, 45, and his wife Jamie Brown, 41, were two of the many residents who drove or walked to watch the rising waters near a flooded intersection close to the San Jacinto River in the northeast Houston neighborhood of Kingwood.
The floodwaters had risen several feet and had begun to flood nearby restaurants and a gas station.
The water could be seen flowing into parts of the couple’s subdivision. But Mr. Brown said he wasn’t worried as his home was at a higher elevation than other ones in their subdivision.
Mr. Brown, who had driven from his home in a golf cart, said the flooding wasn’t as bad as Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He pointed to nearby power lines and said that flooding during Harvey had reached the top of the lines.
Friday’s fierce storms forced numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes. Officials redoubled urgent instructions for residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning the worst was still to come.
“A lull in heavy rain is expected through (Saturday) evening,” according to the National Weather Service. “The next round of heavy rainfall 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 on Sunday and if it’s a lot, it could be problematic. Judge Hidalgo is the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.
Most weekends, Miguel Flores Sr. is mowing his huge backyard on a 2½-acre lot behind his home in Kingwood. But on Saturday, he and his family were loading several vehicles with clothes, small appliances and other items before flood waters inundated his home.
Waters from the nearby San Jacinto River had swallowed his backyard and continued to rise on Saturday.
Mr. Flores said the water in his backyard was only about 1 foot high on Friday. On Saturday, the water level now measured about 4 feet.
“It’s sad, but what can I do,” Mr. Flores said. He added that he has flood insurance.
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, where high waters reached the roofs of some homes.
More than 21 inches of rain fell during the five-day period that ended Friday in Liberty County near the city of Splendora, about 30 miles northeast of Houston, according to the National Weather Service.
Judge Hidalgo said Saturday that 178 people have been rescued and 122 pets have been rescued so far in the county. Scores of rescues took place in neighboring Montgomery County. In Polk County, located about 100 miles northeast of Houston, officials said they have done over 100 water rescues in the past few days.
Authorities in Houston had not reported any deaths or injuries. The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country and has long experience dealing with devastating weather.
Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall on the area, flooding thousands of homes and resulting in more than 60,000 rescues by government rescue personnel across Harris County.
Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River in the northeastern part of Harris County, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release extra water from an already full reservoir. Judge Hidalgo on Thursday issued a mandatory evacuation order for those living along portions of the river.
Most of Houston’s city limits were not heavily impacted by the weather. Officials said the area had about four months of rain in about a week’s time.
The weather service reported the river was nearly 74 feet late Saturday morning after reaching nearly 78 feet. The rapidly changing forecast said the river is expected to fall to near flood stage of 58 feet by Thursday.
The greater Houston area covers about 10,000 square miles — a footprint slightly bigger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by about 1,700 miles of channels, creeks and bayous that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles to the southeast from downtown.
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 up with the city’s growth and bigger storms.
First Published: May 4, 2024, 6:42 p.m.
