In certain areas of Texas, mandatory evacuations were issued, and Houston residents in Harris County, where flooding was caused by severe rain, were advised to prepare to stay put for many days.
The chief executive of the county government, Harris County Judge Linda Hidalgo, proclaimed a catastrophe on Thursday.
Along the East Fork of the San Jacinto River, mandatory evacuations were declared, and locals were asked to go before dusk.
“What we’re going to see tonight and into the weekend will not be Hurricane Harvey, but we are going to see significant impacts,” Hidalgo stated.
“At this time, folks in the impacted area should either prepare to stay where they are for the next 2-3 days or leave,” she stated.
The National Weather Service issued a cautionary statement to drivers, especially at night, and the American Red Cross of the Texas Gulf Coast opened shelters.
Flooding on Thursday forced the entire closure of a portion of Polk’s US 59, according to the state Transportation Department. Drivers were cautioned to “turn around, don’t drown.”
In some areas of Harris County, more than 7 inches of rain had fallen by 11 a.m. on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Houston was under a flood watch till 7 p.m. on Friday.
By late Thursday afternoon, the heavy rain had stopped, but the weather service warned that there was still a risk of flooding because the water was still slowly draining.
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It stated that until seven in the morning on Friday, a flood warning was in force for a portion of northern Houston, including the Kingwood neighborhood. There are no known fatalities in the region.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire stated that the amount of water released from Lake Conroe, located north of the city, was comparable to what occurred during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a multi-day storm that resulted in severe flooding.
“We have to be on alert. Full alert,” Whitmire stated.
According to the meteorological service, by 11 a.m. on Thursday, Livingston, in Polk County, approximately 60 miles northeast of Houston, had received more than 9 inches of rain.
After his wife was admitted to the hospital and everyone was secure, Brown claimed he “broke down in the end.”
“We have a baby on the way, and we just lost everything,” he stated.
Although Houston’s intense rains have stopped or are lessening, the meteorological service issued a flood watch, indicating that there is still a chance of extra severe rain on Friday or overnight. More rain of one to two inches, or up to four inches in certain places, was predicted.
The weather agency warned that any additional rain could exacerbate floods or hinder the water’s retreat.
