Following heavy floods in Texas that stranded drivers, flooded roads, and closed schools, mandatory evacuation orders were issued near Houston on Thursday for some people. Authorities warned that problems in some hard-hit places could get worse.
” This is a life- disturbing condition”, said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the best elected official in the nation’s next- largest state.
The National Weather Service reports that in some areas over the past month, storms have deposited more than 2 feet (61 centimeters ) of rain in southeast Texas and some parts of Louisiana. An area along the San Jacinto River was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and authorities pour more water from a reservoir that was already overflowing.
Videos posted on social media showed tractor trailers that were partially submerged and water dripping down roads. Due to the stormy weather and the opening of some local shelters, more than a dozen school districts north of Houston canceled Friday classes.
No fatalities or injuries were immediately reported as a result of the flooding. At least nine people were rescued from rising water, the Houston mayor’s office said.
In a rural Harris County area along the river where Houston is located, officials ordered the evacuation of residents. How many people were being given evacuation orders was unknown.
” We want you out of this area”, Hidalgo said at a news conference Thursday.
In Montgomery County, officials further north issued a voluntary evacuation order and reported that roads were closed due to 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.
Trees were cut down by the storm, which left drivers stranded. The San Jacinto River Authority was forced to shut Lake Conroe and increase the dam’s water releases, which caused the reservoir’s creation.
According to Harris, officials advised riverside residents to leave or be prepared to be stranded by rising water for two to three days.
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. She said,” I was trying to get to work,” but the roads were so bad that she was unable to make it.
Emergency management officials warned that the region might experience flooding comparable to that of Tropical Storm Imelda, which had already dumped more than 40 inches ( 102 centimeters ) in some places in 2019.
