Floods are intensifying in Texas, in the United States, after strong storms, washing away vehicles, damaging homes and prompting evacuations.
This week's rain was the latest in a series of weather events that have hit Texas since early April.
Dozens of tornadoes were reported across the state, with areas reporting softball-sized hail.
Additionally, months' worth of rain fell in East Texas, causing rivers to record their highest levels since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Some communities north of the city of Houston recorded rainfall equivalent to almost two months on Thursday (2). Roads were submerged and rivers overflowed.
Flooded counties
In Walker County, authorities said the flooding was historic.
“This was a historic flood for Walker County. There was more flooding than during Hurricane Harvey,” said Sherri Pegoda, deputy county emergency management coordinator, to CNN.
According to Pegoda, two communities are flooded along the Trinity River and are only accessible by tall vehicles.
“Almost all roads in Walker County were completely underwater Monday and Tuesday night. We still have approximately 43 roads that are flooded with major washouts and some bridges that have been compromised,” he reported.
At least 42 rescues have been carried out in the county since April 28, she added.
Meanwhile, in Polk County, about 700 homes were flooded, according to emergency management officials, who warned that more rain could increase flooding in the coming days.
In total, 1,000 homes are in a mandatory evacuation zone in the county, Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy told CNN. The flood warning remains in force this Friday (3).
The judge noted that authorities are concerned and attentive to what was happening in the north of the county and the impact of the floods.
“Due to continued rain in East Texas and rising levels in streams and rivers, flood levels may increase,” the Office of Emergency Management recently warned in a Facebook post.
Please remain alert to changing flood levels along the Trinity River and in ALL low-lying areas. If you want to leave where you are, do it now!”, he warned.
More than a third of counties on alert
Mandatory evacuations were ordered Thursday in parts of Harris County north of Houston for residents on the east side of the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.
The river reached major flood stage on Thursday and is expected to crest on Saturday morning, just a few feet below the record level during Harvey.
“We ask that you leave this area… this is a life-threatening situation,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo at a press conference.
The rising water is expected to impact elevated structures and could rise to roofs or power lines, according to Hidalgo.
Mandatory evacuations due to flooding were also ordered for parts of San Jacinto County and Polk County, with voluntary evacuations for Montgomery County.
Disaster warnings are active in more than a third of Texas counties after Gov. Greg Abbott expanded storm-related declarations in response to the flooding, according to a news release.
More counties may issue warnings in the coming days, especially with more storms forecast.
Parts of East Texas have received three to seven times normal precipitation over the past three to four weeks. Several episodes of heavy rain have soaked the ground, making many areas extremely prone to flash flooding.
Almost thirty centimeters of rain fell in some places in the early hours of Thursday to Friday, making the situation worse. The rain will continue through Friday night, and 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible.
The worst flooding was in southeast Texas, where at least a dozen rivers, including parts of the San Jacinto and Trinity rivers, were at major flood stage, the highest level, on Friday morning.
Several other locations are forecast to experience major flooding over the weekend and could hit or exceed record levels set during Hurricane Harvey.
Hurricane Harvey created a widespread flooding disaster in Houston.
While this week's ongoing flooding is significant, it is much less widespread and occurs north of where Harvey's worst rain fell.
Severe storms hit the entire state
As torrential rains flooded East Texas, severe thunderstorms spawned tornadoes north and south of the Abilene area in West Texas. There were eight reports of tornadoes on Thursday, according to the Storm Prediction Center, a tornado monitoring organization.
A “large and extremely dangerous” tornado touched down in the cities of Hodges and Hawley on Thursday night.
About 30 homes in Hawley were destroyed. Cars also suffered damage from debris.
There were “several” injuries, but no deaths had been reported as of Friday morning, Hawley Police Chief Brad Wilson told CNN.
At least one area school district is allowing students to study from home.
“The Hawley community has been hit hard and we have several families who have lost their homes,” the Hawley Independent School District highlighted in a Facebook post.
More severe storms are possible across Texas Friday afternoon or evening. A Level 3 risk for severe thunderstorms is in effect for parts of west-central Texas, including areas that were hit hard Thursday. The maximum value of the scale is 5.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
