Over 178 people were brought to safety in Texas as rivers swelled to levels reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey, with further rainfall on the horizon.
Over 178 individuals have been safely rescued from homes and vehicles in Harris County, Texas, according to an official statement on Saturday. The region is bracing for more rain following intense storms and heavy downpours that caused damage to homes and prompted evacuations.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of fatalities or severe injuries. Additionally, over 100 pets have been rescued amidst the deluge, which has left livestock stranded and communities grappling with the aftermath.
Expressing concern for the widespread impact on lives and infrastructure, Judge Hidalgo emphasized the need for caution before residents return to their homes.
While the bulk of the weekend’s rainfall is expected in western and central Texas, there’s a possibility of heavier downpours returning to the greater Houston area on Sunday. The threat looms particularly over areas upstream of Houston, potentially worsening flooding conditions. Currently, 12 river gauges in the region have reached major flood stages.
These recent storms add to a string of severe weather events that have battered Texas since early April, including tornadoes, hailstorms, and intense rainfall leading to river surges reminiscent of the catastrophic floods during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued a tornado watch for southwestern Texas until late evening, warning of severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds. A similar watch is in place for southeastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas.
This forecast arrives as communities north of Houston grapple with the aftermath of nearly two months’ worth of rainfall in just one day, resulting in submerged roads, overflowing rivers, and widespread evacuations and water rescues.
Here’s an overview of the situation in South Texas as of Friday evening:
In San Jacinto County, situated 60 miles north of Houston, approximately 100-200 homes are grappling with floodwaters, leading to mandatory evacuations. According to Emmitt Eldridge, the county’s emergency management coordinator, the situation is described as being “85% worse than Hurricane Harvey.” The county, downstream from Dallas along the Trinity River, anticipates further inundation due to additional rainfall, with at least 58 water rescues already conducted.
In Walker County, about 70 miles northwest of Houston, authorities are deeming the floods historic. Sherri Pegoda, the deputy emergency management coordinator, stated that the flooding surpassed that experienced during Hurricane Harvey, with two communities submerged along the Trinity River and accessible only via high-water vehicles. Nearly all roads in Walker County were submerged, with approximately 43 roads still flooded and several major washouts and compromised bridges. The county has seen at least 42 high-water rescues since April 28.
Moving to Polk County, approximately 80 miles northeast of Houston, around 700 homes have been flooded, prompting mandatory evacuations. Emergency management officials warn that additional rainfall could further elevate flood levels in the coming days, with 1,000 homes in a mandatory evacuation zone. A flood warning remains in effect for the county, with concerns about impacts from flooding north of the area.
In Harris County, which includes several northern Houston suburbs, mandatory evacuations have been enforced since Thursday for residents on the east side of the East Fork of the San Jacinto River. The river reached major flood stage on Thursday and is projected to crest Saturday morning just shy of the record level during Hurricane Harvey. County Judge Sydney Murphy urged residents to remain vigilant, emphasizing the potential for water levels to impact elevated structures and possibly reach rooftops or power lines.
In the Harris County suburb of Crosby, a school bus driver noticed flooding over a road that had not yet been barricaded. The driver promptly stopped the bus, evacuated the middle and high school students through the rear door, and transported them safely to school, where they received breakfast and dry clothes.
In Liberty County, located about 45 miles northeast of Houston, a remarkable rescue operation took place when the Coast Guard airlifted a 12-hour-old baby girl from Cleveland, Texas, on Friday. The newborn was experiencing low oxygen levels at Texas Emergency Hospital, which lacked a neonatal intensive care unit, and due to flooding, ground transport via ambulance was impossible. The helicopter safely transported the baby and her mother to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where the infant was reported to be in stable condition.
Additionally, voluntary evacuations were initiated in Montgomery County, just north of Harris County, in response to flooding concerns.
Governor Greg Abbott expanded disaster declarations for over a third of Texas counties in response to the widespread flooding, with the possibility of more counties being added in the coming days, especially with the forecast predicting more storms.
Parts of eastern Texas have seen three to seven times their average rainfall over the last three to four weeks, saturating the soil and increasing the risk of flash floods and river overflow. Some areas received nearly a foot of rain from Thursday to Friday morning, exacerbating the situation. Further rainfall is expected through Friday evening, with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible.
The most severe flooding is concentrated in southeastern Texas, with at least a dozen river gauges, including sections of the San Jacinto and Trinity rivers, registering at major flood stage as of Friday morning. More locations are forecast to experience major flooding by the weekend, potentially surpassing record levels set during Hurricane Harvey.
While this week’s flooding is significant, it is less extensive than Harvey’s, occurring mainly north of the areas most impacted by that historic storm.
In addition to the flooding, powerful storms triggered tornadoes in both northern and southern areas of west Texas on Thursday, with eight tornado reports recorded by the Storm Prediction Center.
A devastating tornado described as “large and extremely dangerous” wreaked havoc on the towns of Hodges and Hawley, located roughly 10 miles north of Abilene, on Thursday evening.
In Hawley, approximately 30 homes bore the brunt of the tornado’s ferocious winds, resulting in significant damage, including entire sections of some homes being left exposed. Cars in the area were also affected by flying debris. Hawley Police Chief Brad Wilson reported “numerous” injuries, although fortunately, there were no fatalities as of Friday morning.
Given the extent of the damage, at least one area school district has opted to provide students with the option to study remotely or take time to recover on Friday, following the destructive tornado on Thursday evening.
Expressing solidarity with the affected families, the Hawley Independent School District acknowledged the significant impact on the community, stating in a Facebook post that “several families have lost homes” as a result of the tornado.
The National Weather Service reported staggering rainfall totals from the flooding in Texas and Louisiana this week, with nearly two feet of rain recorded over a span of five days. In Texas, precipitation levels varied, reaching as high as 23.56 inches in Groveton and 18.42 inches in Livingston.