Tropical Storm Harvey’s multi-day siege on Texas and the Gulf Coast has killed at least five, prompted thousands of rescues and triggered catastrophic flooding across the Houston metro. Now, swollen waterways are prompting evacuations in surrounding areas.
New mandatory and voluntary evacuations were ordered in Fort Bend County, Texas, southwest of downtown Houston, over fears and expectations that water levels in the Brazos River will reach record levels, threatening to overtop local levees and inundate homes and businesses.
“A 59-foot river level threatens to overtop many of the levees in our area,” said Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert. “If you are in a mandatory evacuation zone, please leave. If you do not, you may be in danger and we may not be able to help.”
Elaine Duke, acting homeland security secretary, said the government is “deeply concerned” about the plight of those in and around Houston.
“Today we are deeply concerned with those in Houston and surrounding areas who are stranded and in need of immediate assistance.
While hurricane force winds have diminished, I want to stress that we are not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. Harvey is still a dangerous and historic storm.
Life-threatening flooding will occur over a large proportion of south central and south-east Texas in the coming days.
It is vitally important for those in Texas and Louisiana to monitor your local radio and TV stations for updated emergency information and listen to the direction of your local officials.
Under the president’s direction we have made every resource available to respond to this historic storm. We are committed to getting the resources local officials need as soon as possible.”
More evacuations could come with record-breaking flooding bursting the banks of waterways further downstream. Five waterways have already crested to their highest levels ever, according to weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman, and five more, including the Brazos River, are forecast to crest above their all-time record.
“The heaviest rain early Monday morning extended from near Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas, into far southwestern Louisiana, with radar rain rates estimated over 4 inches per hour over in some spots,” said Erdman. “Rain is still falling over parts of the Houston metro area, mainly in Fort Bend and southern Harris Counties, but is much less intense than we saw during the weekend.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has activated 3,000 national and state guard members after Harvey dumped more than two feet of rain on Houston metro, causing historic flooding from rainfall that has been characterized by the National Weather Service as “beyond anything experienced before.”
A voluntary evacuation was posted for residents in Inverness Forest Subdivision north of Whitestone Lane, including east and west Greenbrook Drive and Kenchester Drive. Cypress Creek near I-45 could top the levee by Monday morning, according to the Harris County Flood Control District.