National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists warned Texans to avoid potentially fatal floodwaters on Friday as heavy rain continued to batter the Lonestar State.
On Monday, storms dumped as much as 9 inches of rain in some parts of the Texas Hill Country. The excessive moisture put some rivers at flood risk, prompting state water officials to open floodgates at the Max Starcke and Wirtz dams earlier this week.
The excessive moisture proved beneficial to Lake Travis, a popular drought-parched reservoir in Austin that jumped by 7 feet in a week. However, the rain has moved southeast and now poses dangers as it contributed to floods on Friday.
A flash flood warning, flood warning, flood watch, and a hazardous weather outlook were issued by NWS meteorologists for eastern Texas and western Louisiana on Friday morning.
“Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly,” the NWS office in Galveston said. “Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.”
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” the warning added. “Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.”
Houston has received more than normal amounts of rain this month. Typically, the average July rainfall is 3.77 inches. So far this month, the Houston area has received 9.1 inches.
“It’s been quite a wet year,” NWS meteorologist Tim Cady told Newsweek. “Usually, at this point of the year, we would have 28.3 inches, and we’ve already picked up 45.”
The flash flood warning is set to expire at 12:45 p.m. local time. Cady said that he expects the office to extend its flood watch until Saturday.
Heavy rain is expected to dwindle by Friday afternoon, although the threat of rain could remain through Saturday and Sunday, Cady warned. Since the ground is already saturated, flooding will occur more quickly with less rain. Cady added that there will be “lots of street flooding.”
10 AM Radar Update: Widespread rain continues to move into the area, resulting in a continued flooding threat. Additional impacts to roadways, rivers, and bayous are possible. Exercise caution if you need to travel today and remember to #TurnAroundDontDrown #houwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/g8wJysh8hM
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 26, 2024
As of Friday afternoon, areas most susceptible to the flash flooding include Corrigan, Seven Oaks, Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, Moscow and Leggett.
Around the same time the warning was issued, the NWS office in Houston posted a radar clip on X, formerly Twitter, that showed the rain’s progression.
“Widespread rain continues to move into the area, resulting in a continued flooding threat,” the post said. “Additional impacts to roadways, rivers, and bayous are possible. Exercise caution if you need to travel today.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
