“Crisis in Houston Flood: Heavy Rainfall Triggers Major Flooding, Hundreds Rescued”

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“Crisis in Houston Flood: Heavy Rainfall Triggers Major Flooding, Hundreds Rescued”

Over the weekend, heavy rainfall led to flooding in many neighborhoods around Houston. More than 400 people were rescued by crews from their homes, rooftops, and roads, and…

Over the weekend, heavy rainfall led to flooding in many neighborhoods around Houston. More than 400 people were rescued by crews from their homes, rooftops, and roads, and others prepared to evacuate their properties. A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall on Saturday night, with the likelihood of major flooding in Harris County, the nation’s third-largest county which includes Houston, and nearby areas.

According to the National Weather Service, a lull in heavy rain was expected through Saturday evening, with the next round of heavy rainfall expected late on Saturday and through 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. Despite the severity of the situation, Houston authorities have not reported any deaths or injuries. Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s top elected official, said that 178 people and 122 pets had been rescued so far in the county.

A wide region has been swamped from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing people and pets who did not evacuate in time. For example, one crew brought a family and three dogs aboard as rising waters surrounded their cars and home. In Houston, 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.

Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country, and the city 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.

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

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. Water could be seen flowing into parts of the couple’s subdivision, but Aron Brown said he wasn’t worried because their home was at a higher elevation than others in the neighborhood. He pointed to nearby power lines and said flooding during this event was not as bad as during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

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