The National Weather Service has extended the flash flood warning through 10:15am this morning after as much as 6 inches of rain fell across southwestern Houston this morning. An additional 0.5 to 1 inch is possible during the next couple of hours, and on top of what has already fallen this could put some bayous out of their banks.
Already this morning flash flooding is occurring along Highway 59 from Fort Bend County through to the northeast side of Downtown Houston, with some underpasses and surrounding streets under water.
According to the Harris County Flood Control District, here is an assessment of current bayou levels at or near flood level:
- Keegans Bayou: overbanks at US 59/Beltway 8…numerous streets flooded
- Brays Bayou: bayou is spilling into SH 288 mainlanes and lower homes in Meyerland may be close to flooding. Bayou appears near crest at US 59 and Gessner
- Hunting Bayou: bayou is at bankfull at Lockwood (Kashmere Gardens)
- South Mayde Creek: creek is at bankfull at Greenhouse
- Upper Spring Creek: creek is nearing bankfull at Hegar Rd
- Upper Cypress Creek: creek is rising toward bankfull
- Lower White Oak Bayou: within banks, but high
As the heavier storms have moved out of the Houston, there is concern about additional development late this morning and early afternoon along a nearly stationary boundary.
Posted by Eric at 7:50am CT on Wednesday
(Space City Weather is sponsored by Westbury Christian School for this month)
Thanks for the update! I also saw some flooding in the heights area. The forecast models definitely missed on this.
A broken record. A nondescript storm paralyzes this huge metro area. This is the new normal for Houston. Governments must do something.
Won’t it be ironic if the Flooding and Storm Surge Symposium, at the George R Brown is cancelled due to flooding. Think the Universe is trying to tell the city and county to DO something – fast – about man-made flooding?
What does the rest of the day and overnight into Thursday look like? Are we repeating this event again? Or will it revert to what the original forecasts thought it would be?
Just posted an update on this very question.
The landscape is flat, the natural bayous and man-made drainage canals do their job of removing the water at an astonishing rate. While I know there are always a few homes that are affected, it’s primarily street flooding that occurs, and the drainage surveys are designed for it to happen that way.
If you keep building this is going to happen, I don’t know why people continue to complain. By noon it will all be ran off and drying out again!
Eric, I’m not sure if you monitor cocorahs.org, but me and others found 6.5″ to 7.25″ in our gauges this morning.
Thanks Dave.