Flood Emergency! Mandatory Evacuations Declared Across Texas As Rain Continues
DEBARYLIFE – After flooding caused by heavy rain, areas of Texas were ordered to mandatory evacuation, while inhabitants of Harris County, home to Houston, were advised to prepare to stay put for many days.
The chief executive of the Harris County government, Judge Linda Hidalgo, issued a disaster declaration on Thursday.
Residents along the East Fork of the San Jacinto River were asked to evacuate before dusk. Mandatory evacuations were required.
In a statement, Hidalgo stated, “What we’re going to see tonight and into the weekend will not be Hurricane Harvey, but we will see significant impacts.”
People in the affected area should make plans to stay put over the next two to three days or evacuate, the spokesperson advised.
Up until early Tuesday afternoon, the East Fork of the San Jacinto River was under a flood warning.
The National Weather Service advised motorists to exercise caution, particularly at night, and the American Red Cross of the Texas Gulf Coast offered shelters.
According to the state Transportation Department, flooding on Thursday forced the entire closure of a portion of U.S. Highway 59 in Polk. “Turn around, don’t drown,” it advised drivers.
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By 11 a.m. on Thursday, the National Weather Service reported that over 7 inches of rain had fallen in certain areas of Harris County. Up until 7 p.m. on Friday, Houston was under a flood watch.
Although the heavy rain stopped by late Thursday afternoon, the weather service stated that there was still a risk of flooding because the water was still slowly draining.
It stated that until seven in the morning on Friday, a flood warning was in force for a portion of northern Houston, including the Kingwood neighborhood.
Videos from Houston’s NBC affiliate KPRC showed automobiles that had rolled off flooded highways and others that were stuck in the high water.
There are no known fatalities in the region.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire stated that the amount of water released from Lake Conroe, located north of the city, was comparable to what occurred during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a multi-day storm that resulted in severe flooding.
We must maintain vigilance. Whitmire declared, “Full alert.”
By 11 a.m. on Thursday, the weather service reported that Livingston, in Polk County and roughly 60 miles northeast of Houston, had received over 9 inches of rain.
Jonathan Brown told KPRC that on Thursday morning, they had to leave their house with their 5-year-old, his pregnant wife, and a large amount of water that had gotten into their refrigerator to the point where it was floating.
As his wife was admitted to the hospital and everyone was secure, Brown claimed he “broke down in the end.”
“We just lost everything, and we have a baby on the way,” he said to the station.