Over 200 people and numerous pets have been rescued in Texas due to severe flooding, and unfortunately, more rain is expected in the coming days.
Record-breaking rainfall inundates Southeast Texas in just 5 days
With rivers swelling across South Texas, homes and businesses are being flooded and thousands of people are being displaced. As the threat of more rain looms, residents are anxiously looking skyward on Sunday.
Over 224 individuals have been successfully rescued from homes and vehicles in Harris County, Texas, according to an official statement on Saturday night. Evacuation orders and flood watches remain in effect as the state braces for more rain on Sunday. The Houston area, already saturated with water, is expected to bear the brunt of the excessive rainfall.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo informed CNN that there have been no fatalities or major injuries reported. Additionally, a total of 153 pets have been successfully rescued during the heavy rainfall.
“It has been truly heartbreaking to witness the devastating effects on people’s lives, homes, and public infrastructure,” Hidalgo shared with CNN on Saturday.
“We kindly request individuals to exercise patience before returning to their residences.”
According to Brent Taylor, the chief communications officer for the Houston Office of Emergency Management, a significant number of individuals in Houston were safely evacuated prior to the arrival of the severe weather. This information was shared during an interview with CNN’s Amara Walker on Sunday.
“Houston Police and Houston Fire are actively patrolling the neighborhoods near the river, where the water levels have risen significantly,” Taylor stated. There have been cases where individuals have urgently called out for assistance, exclaiming, “Hey, I’m trapped over here!”
We possess vehicles specifically designed for rescuing individuals in areas with high water levels. We offer a wide range of thrilling watercraft, including Jet Skis and air boats. The Houston Public Works Department has dump trucks that can be equipped to transport individuals through the high waters, demonstrating a collective effort to prioritize the safety of Houstonians,” he emphasized.
The majority of the weekend’s rainfall occurred in western and central Texas, but there is a notable possibility of more intense rain in the greater Houston area on Sunday.
Expect an extra 1 to 3 inches of rainfall by Monday morning, as reported by the Houston National Weather Service office. Certain regions may experience rainfall amounts ranging from 4 to 8 inches in isolated areas.
Due to the recent heavy rain, flooding might occur sooner than usual. The Houston weather service office has issued a warning about the ongoing river flooding, stating that the rainfall today will only make the situation worse.
There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon, though. Expect a week of dry weather and warm temperatures in Houston, with plenty of sunshine to help dry out the region.
The recent storms have been part of a string of severe weather events that have been affecting the state since early April. Numerous tornadoes have swept through a wide area, stretching from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast. Certain regions of the state have experienced severe hailstorms with hail the size of softballs. Additionally, East Texas has been subjected to heavy rainfall in short bursts, resulting in rivers reaching unprecedented levels not witnessed since the destructive floods caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Counties in and around the Houston area are currently under mandatory evacuations, with local officials drawing parallels to previous disasters. According to Emmitt Eldridge, the flooding in San Jacinto County is significantly worse than Hurricane Harvey, as reported by CNN. This flood in Walker County will be remembered as a significant event in its history. According to Sherri Pegoda, Walker County’s deputy emergency management coordinator, the flooding from this event has surpassed that of Hurricane Harvey.
Emergency managers have announced a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying unincorporated areas of Polk County that will remain in effect until Sunday evening. Additionally, homes along rivers in Harris and Montgomery counties are also included in this evacuation order, as stated in a recent Facebook post.
A news release states that disaster declarations have been activated for more than a third of Texas counties. This comes after Gov. Greg Abbott expanded the storm-related declarations in response to the flooding. There is a possibility of including more counties in the upcoming days, especially due to the forecast of additional storms.
