Home Care In Houston, TX

The Houston area was under threat of worsening flood conditions on Saturday, a day after heavy storms slammed the region – and authorities warned those in low-lying areas to evacuate before an expected surge of water the likes of which haven’t been seen since Hurricane Harvey.

A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall on Saturday night, bringing another 1-3in (2.5-7.6cm) of water to the soaked region and the likelihood of major flooding.

Friday’s 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 that the worst was still to come.

Crews have now rescued more than 400 people from their homes, rooftops and roads and others are preparing to evacuate their property.

“This threat is ongoing and it’s going to get worse. It is not your typical river flood,” said Harris county judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.

She described the predicted surge of water as “catastrophic” and said several hundred structures were at risk of flooding. There had already been at least two dozen water rescues in the county, in addition to 30 pets moved to safety. Schools in the path of the flooding canceled classes and roads jammed as authorities closed highways taking on water.

For weeks, drenching rains in Texas and parts of Louisiana have filled reservoirs and saturated the ground. Floodwaters partly submerged cars and roads this week across parts of south-eastern Texas, north of Houston, where high waters reached the roofs of some homes.

More than 11in (28cm) of rain fell during a 24-hour period that ended on Friday morning in the northern Houston suburb of Spring, according to the National Weather Service.

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 experienced 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 personnel across Harris county.

Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River in the north-eastern part of Harris county, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release extra water from an already full reservoir. Hidalgo on Thursday issued a mandatory evacuation order for those living along portions of the river.

Shelters have opened across the region, including nine from the American Red Cross.

The greater Houston area covers about 10,000 sq miles (26,000 sq km) – a footprint slightly bigger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by about 1,700 miles (2,736km) of channels, creeks and bayous that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles (80km) to the south-east 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.

Not only did we see heavy rain the past 24 hours, but it fell on top of the already saturated ground from heavy rain that we saw on Sunday and Monday.

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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Heavy rain across the Houston area caused widespread flooding. It started Wednesday night and went through Thursday afternoon, leading to river and street flooding and both mandatory and voluntary evacuations.

Meteorologist Chita Craft totaled up rainfall amounts for different parts of town. While the rain moved out of the Houston area, the flooding threat remains because what fell north of Houston heads downstream into already swollen and flooded rivers and streams.

RELATED: County Judge Lina Hidalgo signs disaster declaration for Harris County following torrential rainfall

How much rain fell in the Houston area?

Over the last 24 hours, we've had 1 to 3 inches of rain in Harris County, 4 to 6 inches in northern Harris and Montgomery County with Walker, San Jacinto and Polk counties with the highest totals between 8 and 11 inches of rain within the last 24 hours.

Not only did we see heavy rain the past 24 hours, but it fell on top of the already saturated ground from heavy rain that we saw on Sunday and Monday.

That's why the ongoing flood threat along the San Jacinto River may continue through early next week.

Credit: KHOU 11

Credit: KHOU 11

Walker County rainfall totals

Credit: KHOU 11

So where does the water go?

KHOU 11's Chery Mercedes took a look at how water north of Houston flows downstream through the east and west forks of the San Jacinto River.

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How you can track stream and river levels

Among other things, the Harris County Flood Warning System provides a look at flood gauges across the county, and on Thursday afternoon, it showed that some parts saw close to 8 inches of rain in the past 24 hours.

The default map shows 24-hour rainfall totals, but you can toggle the time frame to look at the past two days or just the past 15 minutes.

If you click “channel status,” you can see what kind of impact rainfall had on bayous. They’re usually all marked green for “no flooding," but can switch to “flooding possible” or “flooding likely."

You can also click on an individual gauge to get more information. For example, on the morning of Aug. 27, the gauge at Taylor Lake and Port Road indicated it received 1.60 inches of rain in the previous 24 hours. One tab breaks down that rainfall by the hour, while another tab allows you to monitor stream elevation.

RELATED: List: Several shelters are open across Houston area

The warning system also lets you sign up for alerts in your area. First, you’ll need to register. You can use your Facebook, Google or Twitter accounts -- or just sign up with your email and password.

Then you can find the gauges near home or work and sign up for alerts. Those can come via text, email or both. The flood warning system is an easy-to-use tool for any flooding event, including hurricanes. Sign up for ReadyHarris alerts by texting "GULF2021" to 888777.

HOUSTON (AP) — 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.

A wide region was swamped 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 was in effect through Sunday afternoon, as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night and the likelihood of major flooding.

“It’s going to keep rising this way,” said Miguel Flores Jr., of the northeast Houston neighborhood of Kingwood. “We don’t know how much more. We’re just preparing for the worst.”

Husband and wife Aron Brown, 45, and 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. Nearby restaurants and a gas station were beginning to flood.

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Water could be seen flowing into parts of the couple’s subdivision, but Aron Brown said he wasn’t worried because their home is at a higher elevation than others in the neighborhood.

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.

RESIDENTS IN LOW-LYING AREAS ASKED TO EVACUATE

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 (7.6 centimeters) of additional rain was expected, with up to 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) possible in isolated areas.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said more rain was expected Sunday, and if it’s a lot, it could be problematic. Hidalgo is the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.

ONGOING RAIN HAS LEFT PARTS OF TEXAS DRENCHED, RESIDENTS TRAPPED

Most weekends Flores’ father, Miguel Flores Sr., is mowing his huge backyard on a 2.5-acre (1-hectare) lot behind his home in Kingwood. But on Saturday, he and his family were loading several vehicles with clothes, small appliances and other items.

Water from the San Jacinto River had already swallowed his backyard and was continuing to rise — what was about 1 foot (30 centimeters) high in the yard Friday measured about 4 feet (1.2 meters) the following day.

“It’s sad, but what can I do,” 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, reaching the roofs of some homes.

More than 21 inches (53 centimeters) fell over a five-day period through Friday in Liberty County near the city of Splendora, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Houston, according to the National Weather Service.

Hidalgo said Saturday that 178 people and 122 pets have been rescued so far in the county. Scores of rescues took place in neighboring Montgomery County. In Polk County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Houston, officials said they have done over 100 water rescues in the past few days.

HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST FLOOD-PRONE METRO AREAS IN THE US

Authorities in Houston have 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 that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues by government rescue personnel across Harris County.

Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release water from a full reservoir. Hidalgo issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday for people living along portions of the river.

The weather service reported that the river was at nearly 74 feet (22.6 meters) late Saturday morning after reaching nearly 78 feet (23.7 meters). The rapidly changing forecast said the river was expected to fall to near flood stage of 58 feet (17.6 meters) by Thursday.

Most of Houston’s city limits were not heavily impacted by the weather. Officials said the area received about four months’ worth of rain in about a week’s time.

The greater Houston area covers about 10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometers) — a footprint slightly bigger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by about 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) of channels, creeks and bayous that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of downtown.

The system of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain heavy rains, but the engineering initially designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep up with the city’s growth and bigger storms.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Associated Press reporters Ken Miller in Edmond, Oklahoma, Jim Vertuno in Austin, and Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.

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Texas' Harris County says worst of flooding still yet to come

Flood Warnings continue Friday as officials and rescue crews scramble to get people out of harm's way while rivers keep rising in southeastern Texas.

HOUSTON – Heavy showers and thunderstorms continued to pour rain into East Texas Friday, adding more water to swollen rivers that have prompted mandatory evacuations as water levels rise in some towns to levels rivaling Hurricane Harvey's devastating floods of 2017.

Officials are closely watching lakes and streams where additional rainfall on Sunday could fall at 1" to 3" per hour and soak many of the communities still waterlogged by the workweek event.

NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has placed much of the north Houston metro under a Level 3 out of 4 threat for additional flooding.

Flood Watches remain in effect for much of southeastern Texas, including Houston, and even stretched into western Louisiana.

Flooding ‘worse than we imagined’

Officials remain particularly concerned about the East Fork of the San Jacinto River, which is already experiencing major flooding and forecasts have the river still to rise several more feet, not cresting until late Friday.

"We are very concerned," Meteorologist Jeff Lindner with Harris County Flood Control told FOX Weather. "Just upstream from New Caney (Texas) is Plum Grove, and we have very, very serious flooding ongoing in the Plum Grove area of Montgomery and Liberty Counties. And that water is coming very quickly down towards the northeast part of Harris County."

07:18

Texas' Harris County still dealing with extensive flooding north of Houston

Jeff Lindner with Harris County Flood Control joins FOX Weather to give an update on the worst flooding to strike the region in years.

Harris County Executive Judge Lina Hidalgo said for the east side of the East Fork of the San Jacinto River, the event is turning out "to be worse than we imagined."

On Thursday, she declared mandatory evacuations along the east side of the river, running from FM Road 1485 to Lake Houston, and Hidalgo warned flooding impacts may stretch as far as a half mile inland from the river bank.

"This is different than what happened Tuesday," Hidalgo said. "This is significantly higher water, which is going to impact mobility and your ability to take care of yourself and your family. We want you out of this area. We can’t force anyone to do anything, but this is a life-threatening situation."

Hidalgo said the river normally flows at 45-50 feet but was up to 70 feet Tuesday as more water surged in from upriver – with floodwaters covering up to the top of stop signs. What's worse, forecasts indicate the river will rise another 8 feet starting Friday – to just 3 feet below the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

04:04

Residents along the San Jacinto River and Lake Conroe under major flood threat

Days of rain have caused waterways in East Texas to swell past flood stage, triggering evacuations.

"That means elevated structures will get water … it means the water will be hitting power lines, which puts our emergency evacuation vehicles at risk because they’re not going to be able to see those power lines," Hidalgo said. "Please evacuate that area as soon as possible."

Hidalgo said farther upriver in Polk County, about 700 homes have flooded. But in Harris County so far, Hidalgo said Friday that 26 people had been rescued along with 30 pets.

But Lindner said while the East Fork area will end up a few feet shy of Harvey level flooding ,"we are going to be higher than Tropical Storm Imelda back in 2019."

On the other hand, he said the Kingwood area along the West Fork, while some of the lowest homes may get water inside "we are going to be significantly lower than Harvey — probably 7 or 8 feet lower than Harvey. So this is not Harvey flooding for the Kingwood area and to be clear, not all of Kingwood is going to flood."

FOX 26 Houston Reporter Shelby Rose said Wednesday that eight people and 23 dogs needed to be rescued from their homes in Harris County – the most populous county in Texas.

03:15

Texas towns call for voluntary evacuations as rivers overflow their banks

Heavy rain has caused rivers to overflow their banks in parts of Texas, forcing officials to ask people in neighborhoods along the Trinity River and San Jacinto River to leave their homes until water recedes.

Mandatory evacuations ordered in San Jacinto County due to flooding

High-water rescue trucks rolled into communities in San Jacinto County on Wednesday, and despite the danger and pleas from officials to evacuate, some people are refusing to leave their homes.

"I think that’s one of the biggest problems we’re going to face is the fact that some of these people do not want to abide by that evacuation order," Huffman Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tyler Shirley said. "The first rescue we had tonight was exactly that scenario. An individual that wanted to stay and realized that the water was going to rise a lot quicker than he thought. And we ended up having to go back out there after him."

Shirley called the flooding unprecedented based on how fast the waters rose.

The life-threatening situation appears to have gotten worse in the area, and that has led to officials in San Jacinto County also issuing a mandatory evacuation order for residents living in the unincorporated areas of the county, below the Lake Livingston Dam and along the Trinity River. Crews had to release extra water downstream after receiving more than 20 inches of rain over the Lake Livingston watershed since Sunday, but stressed the dam itself is not at risk and is designed to pass nearly triple the amount of water currently flowing through.

"We will continue releases until the elevation of the reservoir returns to the conservation pool of 131 feet above Mean Sea Level," officials said Friday.

Meanwhile, residents have been told to seek shelter with family, friends or at a hotel, but shelters are being opened if that isn't an option.

RELENTLESS SEVERE STORMS CONTINUE TO TORTURE AREAS FROM TEXAS TO UPPER MIDWEST ON THURSDAY

The Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management issued an urgent message on Facebook on Thursday warning residents living along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River south of the Lake Conroe Dam to take immediate precautions due to a significant rise in river levels as water is released downstream.

"All residents downstream along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River should immediately begin evacuating to higher ground," officials warned.

School bus driver praised for quick thinking as bus entered floodwaters

In Crosby County, an official with the Crosby Independent School District hailed one of their school bus drivers for helping save 27 middle and high school students on a school bus after the bus ended up stopped in floodwaters.

The bus was traveling on a road that hadn't been barricaded yet due to deep waters, but the driver noticed the water was suddenly deeper up ahead, ISD officials said. The driver stopped and had the students evacuate the bus out the rear door. Another bus came to get the students off to school while the original bus driver then maneuvered the bus back out of the floodwaters to safety.

The students were offered dry clothes at school if needed.

‘A few dry days would help out’

Lindner said they are keeping a weary eye on the rainfall forecasts for the weekend, as so far they have not quite gone to plan. Rain is forecast to lighten up on Saturday, allowing the region to briefly wring out though scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely on Sunday. But the thunderstorms have been stubborn.

"You know, even (Friday) morning wasn't handled very well by some of our short range (weather forecast computer) modeling. And so, you know, the rain this morning was a little bit more than we were expecting," he said. "We're not very confident, going forward on Saturday and Sunday of how the weather's going to transpire.

"But, you know, in a lot of cases, the damage has already been done. The water is already on the ground. We are going to see serious flooding."

He did have one wish for the short-term weather forecast:

"If we could just get a few dry days, it would definitely help out," he said.

More than 25 inches of rain in some areas in the past month

While the most recent heavy rainfall is causing immediate issues, the WPC says it’s not just been a soggy few days in the region.

Many currently flooded areas of southeastern Texas have seen as much as 15-25 inches of rain over the past 30 days. Woodvillle, Texas has reported 27.05 inches of rain in the past month.

For much of the rest of the region, the past 30 days have brought 3 to 7-times their average rainfall.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued near Houston on Thursday for some residents following heavy rains in Texas that stranded motorists, flooded streets and closed schools as officials warned that conditions in some hard-hit areas could worsen.

“This is a life-threatening situation,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.

Storms over the past month in southeast Texas and parts of Louisiana have dumped more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) of rain in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River, which was expected to keep rising as more rain falls and officials release extra water from an already full reservoir.

Videos posted to social media showed tractor-trailers partially submerged and water flooding over roadways. More than a dozen school districts north of Houston canceled classes Friday because of the weather and shelters opened in some communities.

No injuries or death were immediately reported from the flooding. At least nine people were rescued from rising water, the Houston mayor’s office said.

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Officials ordered an evacuation of people in an area along the river in northern Harris County, where Houston is located. It was unclear how many residents were under evacuation orders.

“We want you out of this area,” Hidalgo said at a news conference Thursday.

Farther north in Montgomery County, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order and said roads were closed because of flooding along the river. The area got about 5 to 8 inches (13 to 20 centimeters) of rain within 24 hours, with some spots getting as much as 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) of rain, said National Weather Service meteorologist Hayley Adams.

The storm brought down trees and left vehicles stranded. It prompted the San Jacinto River Authority to close Lake Conroe and increase water releases from the dam that created the reservoir.

Officials asked that residents farther south along the river leave or prepare to be stranded by rising water for two to three days, Harris said.

The San Jacinto River is normally 45 to 50 feet (13.72 to 15.24 meters) above sea level, but is expected to reach 78 feet (23.77 meters), Hidalgo said.

The county opened three shelters for displaced residents, with a fourth planned.

Dawn O’Leary, a resident of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72.42 kilometers) northeast of Houston, was caught off guard by the rising floodwaters. “I was trying to get to work,” she said, but the roads were so bad that she could not make it.

Emergency management officials said the area could see flooding similar to that caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda, which dumped more than 40 inches (102 centimeters) in some locations in 2019.