Floodwaters Keep Rising in Texas

Flooding rescues top 400, with more rain expected Sunday
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 4, 2024 3:44 PM CDT
Floodwaters Keep Rising in Texas
People gather to walk around bridge over Lake Houston along West Lake Houston Parkway after it was closed due to high water on either side of the thoroughfare on Saturday in Kingwood, Texas.   (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)

High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops, and roads engulfed in murky water. Floodwaters inundated a wide region Saturday, from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing both people and pets who did not evacuate in time. One crew brought a family and three dogs aboard as rising waters surrounded their cars and home. A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night to the soaked region and the likelihood of major flooding, the AP reports.

"It's going to keep rising this way," Miguel Flores Jr. of Kingwood said. "We don't know how much more. We're just preparing for the worst." Aron Brown, 45, and his wife, Jamie Brown, 41, were among the many residents who drove or walked to watch the rising waters near a flooded intersection close to the San Jacinto River in the northeast Houston neighborhood. The floodwaters had risen several feet and had begun to flood nearby restaurants and a gas station. 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.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Saturday that 178 people have been rescued along with 122 pets so far in the county. Authorities in Houston had not reported any deaths or injuries, per the AP. The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country and has long experience dealing with devastating weather. Scores of rescues took place in neighboring Montgomery County. In Polk County, located about 100 miles northeast of Houston, officials said they have conducted over 100 water rescues in the past few days. (More flooding stories.)

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