Over 200 individuals and 153 animals were saved from floods in Texas as authorities prepare for more rain.
A minimum of 224 individuals have been rescued from their residences and automobiles in Harris County, Texas, as per an official statement on Saturday night. As the next downpour is set to hit the state on Sunday, evacuation orders and flood warnings are in place. The Houston area is expected to be the bull's-eye of extreme rainfall, which has already drenched the region.
There have been no deaths or severe injuries reported, stated Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County to CNN. Moreover, 153 pets have been saved from the deluge.
Hidalgo expressed her disappointment when talking about the destruction caused by the heavy rain and flooding, "It's really heartbreaking to observe the consequences of people's livelihoods and homes, as well as the public infrastructure," she stated.
"We're asking people to postpone their plans to return home for a while."
Most of the rainfall during the weekend occurred in western and central Texas. However, there's a chance of more intense rain showers in the Houston region on Sunday.
Additional 1 to 3 inches of rain can be expected by Monday morning, according to the Houston National Weather Service, with some areas potentially experiencing 4 to 8 inches of rainfall.
The extent of rainfall in the past seven days has been immense, with certain locations receiving two months' worth of rainfall in five days. The weather service released a few of the figures they recorded:
- Groveton, TX- 23.56 inches
- Huntsville, TX- 21.76 inches
- Splendora, TX- 21.01 inches
- Willis, TX- 20.75 inches
- Livingston, TX- 18.42 inches
While things are looking up, at least for the Houston region, forecasters predict dry, warm weather and abundant sunshine in the forecast from Monday to Saturday.
The latest rounds of storms are simply the most recent in a series of drastic weather events to sweep through the state since April. Dozens of tornadoes have been recorded from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast. Select places got hit by baseball-sized hail, while the eastern part of Texas has experienced torrential rainfall, resulting in rivers reaching record levels since the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Mandatory evacuations are still ongoing in the areas surrounding the Houston region, as local authorities draw comparisons to past calamities. Flooding in this instance is "85% worse than Hurricane Harvey," as mentioned by Emmitt Eldridge, the emergency management coordinator for San Jacinto County. "This has been a record-breaking flood for Walker County. The extent of flooding during this event far exceeds what we experienced during Hurricane Harvey," added Sherri Pegoda, Walker County's deputy emergency management coordinator.
An evacuation order remains in effect for low-lying residential areas of Polk County until Sunday evening, announced officials. Additionally, homes situated alongside rivers in Harris and Montgomery counties are also impacted.
Disaster declarations have been issued for more than a third of Texas's counties, following the latest statewide announcements by Governor Greg Abbott in response to the flooding situation. More counties could be added to this list as the week progresses, particularly with more storms expected.
Read also:
- Rain expected again: The situation in the flood areas remains threatening
- Continuous rain until Thursday: Concerns about collapsing dykes are growing in the flood areas
- Flood situation remains tense - more rain forecast
- Flood situation remains tense - weir on the Elbe is opened
The 153 pets were among the animals saved from the floods in Texas. After the rescue operations, Judge Lina Hidalgo expressed her concerns about the damage caused by the heavy rain and flooding.
Source: edition.cnn.com
