HOUSTON (AP) — High water flooded a Houston area Saturday following heavy rain, and crews have already rescued more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and streets submerged in murky water.Some people are ready evict their property.
Large areas from Houston to rural East Texas were submerged under water, and game wardens raced through waist-high water in airboats to rescue people and pets who couldn't be evacuated in time. One crew member picked up his family and three dogs as water rose around the car and home.
A flood watch was in place until Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted further rain and the possibility of major flooding Saturday night.
“It's going to keep going up like this,” said Miguel Flores Jr. of the Kingwood neighborhood in northeast Houston. “We don't know beyond that. We're just preparing for the worst.”
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.
Water was seen flowing into parts of the couple's subdivision, but Aaron Brown said he wasn't concerned because the couple's home is at a higher elevation than other homes in the neighborhood.
Brown, who drove from his home in a golf cart, said the flooding wasn't as bad as before. Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He pointed to nearby power lines and said the Harvey-era flood waters had reached the top of the lines.
Request for evacuation to low-lying residents
Friday's severe storms necessitated numerous high-water rescues, including rescues from the roofs of flooded homes. Authorities doubled down on emergency evacuation orders for low-lying residents and warned the worst was yet to come.
According to the National Weather Service, “heavy rain is expected to ease into the evening (Saturday).” “The next round of heavy rain is expected late Saturday into Sunday.”
Up to an additional 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain is expected, with up to 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) possible in isolated areas.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said more rain is expected Sunday, and more rain could be a problem. Mr. Hidalgo is the top elected official in the third largest county in the country.
Continued rain drenches parts of Texas, trapping residents
Most weekends, Miguel Flores Sr. spends most weekends mowing his vast 1-hectare (2.5-acre) backyard behind his home in Kingwood. But on Saturday, he and his family were loading clothes, small appliances and other items into several cars.
The water in the San Jacinto River was already engulfing the backyard, and it continued to rise. On Friday, there was about a foot of water in the garden, and by the next day it was about four feet high.
“It's sad, but what can I do?” Flores said. He added that he has flood insurance.
Weeks of heavy rain in parts of Texas and Louisiana have filled reservoirs and flooded the ground. Floodwaters partially submerged cars and roads in parts of southeast Texas and north Houston this week, reaching the roofs of some homes.
More than 21 inches (53 centimeters) of rain fell in Liberty County near the city of Splendora, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Houston, in the five days ending Friday, the National Weather Service said.
Hidalgo announced Saturday that 178 people and 122 pets have been rescued so far in the county. Numerous rescues occurred in neighboring Montgomery County. In Polk County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Houston, authorities said they had conducted more than 100 water rescues in recent days.
Houston is one of the most flood-prone metropolitan areas in the United States
Houston authorities have not reported any deaths or injuries. The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metropolitan areas in the country and 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.
Areas of particular concern were along the San Jacinto River, where water levels were expected to continue to rise as more rain falls and authorities release water from full reservoirs. The state of Hidalgo on Thursday issued a mandatory evacuation order for people living in parts of the river.
The National Weather Service reported the river level was near 74 feet (22.6 meters) after reaching nearly 78 feet (23.7 meters) late Saturday morning. The river is expected to drop near flood stage of 58 feet (17.6 meters) by Thursday, according to rapidly changing forecasts.
Most of Houston's city limits were not significantly affected by the weather. Officials said the area received about four months' worth of rain in about a week.
The greater Houston area is approximately 10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometers), an area slightly larger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by approximately 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) of waterways, streams, and bayous that empty into the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of downtown.
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.
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Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Edmond, Oklahoma, Jim Bertuno in Austin and Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.
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