Mandatory evacuations ordered in Texas after heavy rains and flooding

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in parts of Texas, and residents of Harris County, where Houston is located, were asked to be prepared to stay put for days after heavy rain caused flooding.

Harris County Judge Linda Hidalgo, the county’s top executive, declared Thursday a disaster.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered along the East Fork of the San Jacinto River and residents were asked to leave before nightfall.

“What we are going to see tonight and this weekend is not Hurricane Harvey, but we are going to see significant impacts,” Hidalgo said in a statement.

“At this time, residents in the affected area should either prepare to stay where they are for the next 2-3 days or leave,” she said.

A flood warning remained in effect for the East Fork of the San Jacinto River until early Tuesday afternoon.

The American Red Cross of the Texas Gulf Coast opened shelters and the National Weather Service warned drivers to be careful, especially at night.

A section of U.S. Highway 59 in Polk was completely closed due to flooding Thursday, the state Department of Transportation said. He warned drivers to “turn around and don’t drown.”

More than 7 inches of rain had fallen in parts of Harris County as of 11 a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said. A flood watch was in effect for Houston until 7 p.m. Friday.

Heavy rain had stopped by Thursday afternoon, but the risk of flooding remained as water continued to drain slowly, the weather service said.

A flood warning was in effect for parts of north Houston, including the Kingwood area, until 7 a.m. Friday, it said.

Video from Houston’s NBC affiliate KPRC showed cars abandoned after driving off flooded roads and others stuck in high water.

No deaths have been reported in the region.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said water discharge from Lake Conroe, north of the city, was at levels seen during Hurricane Harvey, a multi-day storm that caused catastrophic flooding in 2017 .

“We must be on alert. Full alert,” Whitmire said.

In Livingston, Polk County, about 60 miles northeast of Houston, more than 9 inches of rain had fallen as of 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the weather service.

Johnathan Brown told KPRC that he, his pregnant wife and their 5-year-old child had to escape their home Thursday morning after so much water came in that their refrigerator began to float.

Brown said once everyone was safe and his wife was in the hospital, he “finally collapsed.”

“We have a baby on the way and we lost everything,” he told the station.

While heavy rain in Houston has ended or eased, the weather service said in a flood alert report that conditions remain favorable for more heavy rain overnight or Friday. About 1 to 2 inches of additional rain could fall, or up to 4 inches in isolated amounts, according to the release.

Any further rain could either slow the receding waters or worsen the flooding, the weather service said.

In other parts of the country, a million people are at risk of being hit by severe storms that will move through western Kansas, southern Nebraska and west-central Texas, with very large hail the main concern, followed by isolated tornadoes.

A small area of ​​southwest Texas could be hit by severe storms on Saturday that will bring large hail, gusty winds and possible tornadoes. Central Texas and western Arkansas could be hit by severe weather Sunday.