Five flood-related deaths had been previously confirmed in the Houston area, all people in vehicles caught up in the high water.
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Flash flooding and a 50 percent chance of more rain were possible after almost 18 inches fell in 24 hours.
The problem: Cypress Creek in northwest Houston keeps rising and still hasn’t crested, officials say, and forecasters expect more rain Wednesday.
As parts of Houston begin the recovery from paralyzing flooding, officials seem cautiously optimistic.
The rain continued on Tuesday and the authorities extended the flash flood watchthrough the morning.
Asked if man-made climate change could be a factor, he said the data is unclear but that the El Nino weather phenomenon, caused by heightened surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, could “be a player in why we’re had so many big rain events this year”.
“Although the causes and drivers of flooding were different, this is the largest flood event Houston has experienced since Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, which dumped more than 35 inches (890 millimetres) in rain in parts of the area”, RMS’s Waters stated. He says first responders have made more than 1,000 water rescues across Texas.
More than half the watersheds in Harris County are experiencing significant flooding, with least one cresting above its estimated 500-year flood mark, a new all-time record.
Brody said it’s not easy to watch Houston flood.
About 183 houses had been damaged, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told a news conference on Tuesday, adding that the city was moving quickly to remove debris and set up shelters, with about 20 inspection teams from City Hall having fanned out.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in nine counties in and around the Houston area.
Residents evacuate their flooded apartment complex in the Greenspoint area of Houston.
Fewer than 3,000 customers were without power in the Houston area on Tuesday evening, a sharp decrease from more than 100,000 a day earlier, CenterPoint Energy said.
The man finally swam toward Campion, and as the reporter helped him onto dry land, the auto disappeared beneath the water.
The man finally swam toward Campion, and as the reporter helped him onto dry land, the auto disappeared beneath the water.
Although rainfall has ended, flood warnings for Colorado, Washington, Harris, Liberty, Walker, San Jacinto, Waller, Grimes, Montgomery, Austin, and Fort Bend Counties in southeastern Texas were in effect through midday Tuesday (April 19).
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George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston reported an increase in the number of flights canceled to 410 as the storms flooded roads near the airport. Six of the driver deaths occurred in the city or suburbs of Houston, while two happened in surrounding counties.
