More storms move through Houston area, where hundreds have been rescued from floodwaters

HOUSTON — More storms were moving done the already saturated Houston area on Sunday, wherever flooding from heavy rains has led to nan rescue of hundreds of group from homes, rooftops and roads.

“It’s going to beryllium raining done nan time and immoderate of nan storms could beryllium producing nan heavier downpours,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Hayley Adams.

Over nan past week, areas adjacent Lake Livingston, located northeast of Houston, person gotten upwards of 20 inches of rain, she said, while location has been arsenic overmuch arsenic 12 inches of rainfall successful that play successful areas of northeastern Harris County, nan nation’s third-largest region that includes Houston.

Adams said nan storms coming done Sunday were expected to bring up to 3 inches of rainfall, pinch up to 8 inches imaginable successful immoderate areas.

“It’s going to support rising this way,” said Miguel Flores Jr., who lives successful nan northeast Houston vicinity of Kingwood. “We don’t cognize really overmuch more. We’re conscionable preparing for nan worst.”

Houston authorities person not reported immoderate deaths aliases injuries arsenic a wide region from Houston to agrarian East Texas has been swamped.

The span complete Lake Houston on West Lake Houston Parkway from Kingwood to Atascocita aft it was closed owed to precocious h2o connected either broadside of nan thoroughfare successful Kingwood, Texas, connected Saturday.Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle via AP

FLOODING FORCES EVACUATIONS

Most weekends Flores’ father, Miguel Flores Sr., is mowing his immense backyard connected a 2.5-acre (1-hectare) batch down his location successful Kingwood. But connected Saturday, he and his family loaded respective vehicles pinch clothes, mini appliances and different items.

Water from nan San Jacinto River already had swallowed his backyard and was continuing to rise, from astir 1 ft (30 centimeters) precocious successful nan gait Friday to astir 4 feet (1.2 meters) nan pursuing day.

As storms forced galore high-water rescues, including immoderate from nan rooftops of flooded homes, officials redoubled urgent instructions for residents successful low-lying areas to evacuate, informing nan worst was still to come.

Greg Moss, 68, stood precocious Saturday day by a play cart arsenic he eyed nan respective feet of h2o covering nan roadworthy that leads to his location successful Channelview, a organization successful eastbound Harris County adjacent nan San Jacinto River.

Moss had managed to battalion up galore of his belongings and time off earlier nan roadworthy flooded Saturday.

“I would beryllium stuck for 4 days,” Moss said. “So now astatine slightest I tin spell get thing to eat.”

He moved his belongings and conveyance to a neighbor’s home, wherever he will enactment until nan waters recede. Moss said he is not worried his location will flood because it’s located connected higher ground.

HOUSTON PRONE TO FLOODING

Houston is 1 of nan astir flood-prone metro areas successful nan country. The metropolis of much than 2 cardinal group has agelong acquisition dealing pinch devastating weather.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department crippled wardens usage a vessel to rescue residents from floodwaters successful Liberty County, Texas, connected Saturday.Lekan Oyekanmi / AP

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues by authorities rescue unit crossed Harris County.

The greater Houston area covers astir 10,000 quadrate miles (25,900 quadrate kilometers), a footprint somewhat bigger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by astir 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) of channels, creeks and bayous draining into nan Gulf of Mexico, astir 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of downtown.

The strategy of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain dense rains, but nan engineering initially designed astir 100 years agone has struggled to support up pinch nan city’s maturation and bigger storms.

Husband and woman Aron Brown, 45, and Jamie Brown, 41, were 2 of nan galore residents who drove aliases walked to watch nan rising waters adjacent a flooded intersection adjacent to nan San Jacinto River. Nearby restaurants and a state position were opening to flood.

WHAT’S EXPECTED NEXT

Rain successful nan area is expected to taper disconnected by evening, said Adams, nan National Weather Service meteorologist. But adjacent up, residents recovering from nan floods will person nan power and humidity to contend with.

With a operation of nan lingering moisture from nan rains and temperatures upwards of 90 F (32 C), nan area whitethorn beryllium looking astatine power scale values successful nan triple digits this week, she said.

“We want group to beryllium mindful of nan expanding temperatures, and power exhaustion, power stress,” she said.