Heavy rains and rising rivers in Southeast Texas near the Houston area have led to school closings, high-water rescues and mandatory evacuation orders.
More than 80,000 people were under flash flood warnings on Friday in Harris, Liberty and Montgomery counties, and officials in the waterlogged region urged residents to prepare for the flooding to get worse.
Over nine inches of rain fell during the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. It has also issued a flood warning until Tuesday for the region.
Of particular concern are the neighborhoods along the San Jacinto River, where mandatory evacuations are in place for residents within a half mile of the river and to the east. The river is expected to rise another nine feet between Friday and Saturday, according to officials.
“This threat is ongoing and it’s going to get worse. It is not your typical river flood,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Friday at a news conference.
About 26 people and 30 pets have been rescued so far, according to Judge Hidalgo. Photographers captured images of some of those rescues in Conroe, Texas. No fatalities have been reported as of Friday morning, according to the Texas Tribune.
Meanwhile, severe storms caused several trees to fall in Spring, Texas, where photographers captured the severe damage they caused to some homes there.
Here’s a look at the situation unfolding in Southeast Texas:
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