HIGH WATERS
Shock pictures as floods overtake Houston with 100s forced to flee homes and officials warn ‘worst’ might be on the way
One man recorded four feet of water in his backyard
MASSIVE amounts of rain have caused flooding in Texas as hundreds were forced to evacuate - and the rain shows no sign of stopping.
The rain came crashing down on Saturday resulting in waist-high water and evacuations for local people and pets.
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"It’s going to keep rising this way,” said Miguel Flores Jr., a resident of the Kingwood, a neighborhood in northeast Houston, according to the Associated Press.
"We don’t know how much more. We’re just preparing for the worst."
A flood watch was in place until Sunday afternoon as more rain was predicted Saturday evening.
Emmitt Eldridge, the county’s emergency management coordinator, told CNN the event is "85% worse than Hurricane Harvey."
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The city is equipped with drains for rain, but now designed almost 100 years ago, they are not built to withstand the more recent downpours.
LENGTHY EVACUATION
People living in low-level homes were instructed to evacuate as early as Friday, while people along the San Jacinto River were issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday.
"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."
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Up to 3 inches of additional rain was expected, with up to 5 inches possible in isolated areas.
More rain was expected Sunday, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, which she warned could be problematic if it adds to the flooding.
Resident Miguel Flores Senior measured the San Jacinto River water that flooded his backyard on both Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, the water was at about a foot, but by the following day, it was already at four feet.
"It’s sad, but what can I do," Flores said, affirming that he has flood insurance.
The rain has affected Texas and parts of Louisiana for the past few weeks.
How much more rain is expected in Houston?
Texas and parts of Louisiana have been hit with major rain that has lead to disastrous flooding and hundreds of evacuations.
The city was put on flood watch until Sunday afternoon as more rain was predicted Saturday evening.
"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."
Forecasters predicted an additional 1-3 inches of rainfall on Saturday night.
As rain continues to hit eastern Texas, severe thunderstorms have caused tornadoes. There were eight reports of tornadoes on Thursday, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Torrential downpours have left cars partially submerged, schools and roads closed, and almost fully covered houses.
The weather service reported that the river was almost 74 feet late Saturday morning after reaching nearly 78 feet.
By Thursday, the river was expected to fall to 58 feet.
"This threat is ongoing and it’s going to get worse. It is not your typical river flood," said Hidalgo, according to The Guardian.
She described the flooding as “catastrophic."
In the city of Liberty County, about 30 miles northeast of Houston, more than 21 inches fell over a five-day period through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
On Saturday, 179 people and 122 pets were rescued in the county, according to Hidalgo.
In the past few days, over 100 water rescues have been performed in Montgomery County as well.
Houston officials have not reported any deaths or injuries caused by the flooding.
"It’s been really sad to see the impact of people’s livelihoods, homes, infrastructure as well as just the public infrastructure," Hidalgo told CNN.
"We’re really asking folks to give it a minute before they go back home."
'LET'S GO TO WORK!'
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief Troy Finner took a helicopter over Kingwood to look at the devastation first-hand.
"Houston residents benefit when all levels of government work together," Mayor Whitmire said in a statement, according to KPRC.
"Together, we will get through these challenges. Let’s go to work!"
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The helicopter tour aimed to provide Houston's elected officials with a better understanding of the damage in Kingwood and the necessary resources for the community's recovery.
"Mayor Whitmire is staying in touch with residents and first responders through every means possible. Furthermore, he is using his contacts to speak to Governor Abbott and Lt Governor Patrick and has had a great response from the Texas Division of Emergency Management," read an excerpt from the statement.
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