Intense storms in Texas triggered flooding that led to the rescue of more than 400 people trapped in homes, rooftops and vehicles submerged in murky waters in different parts of the state.
Rainfall has affected Houston and rural East Texas. In several cities, water levels have reached levels comparable to the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which resulted in tens of thousands of rescues.
Dangerous floods hit parts of South Texas after more than a foot rain fell in some areas. Residents were urged to evacuate as the millions of people remain under a flood alert. @KathyParkNBC is in Texas with more on the story. pic.twitter.com/e7U7VJZjiS
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 4, 2024
"We are very concerned. Just upstream from New Caney (Texas) is Plum Grove, and we have very, very serious flooding ongoing in the Plum Grove area of Montgomery and Liberty Counties. And that water is coming very quickly down towards the northeast part of Harris County,” said Harris County Flood Control Meteorologist Jeff Lindner.
In rural areas, rangers have deployed airboats to rescue both people and pets trapped in the water, while rescue teams have stepped up efforts across the state to assist with evacuations.
🚨🇺🇸 HOUSTON HIT BY SEVERE FLOODS | HUNDREDS RESCUED
In Houston, Texas, relentless rains have triggered massive floods, leading to the rescue of over 400 individuals from homes, rooftops, and submerged roads.
The rising waters have affected a broad area from urban Houston to… pic.twitter.com/8gs2WFmz2h
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 5, 2024
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo revealed that 178 people and 122 pets have been rescued in the county so far. However, there have also been dozens of rescues in Montgomery and more than 100 in Polk County, northeast of Houston.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch for southwest Texas until 10 p.m. local time, and the National Weather Service has already announced that heavy rains may continue until Sunday.
6:33pm CDT #SPC_MD 0634 , #txwx, https://t.co/v10crrsVsK pic.twitter.com/0Dm59ogekI
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) May 4, 2024
Overall, additional rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are likely overall, with some locations receiving up to 5 inches of precipitation.
“We’re just preparing for the worst,” said Miguel Flores Jr., a resident of the Kingwood neighborhood in northeast Houston.
