Imelda Floods Houston Region; 2 Deaths Reported

HOUSTON, TX — At least two people were killed as rains from tropical storm Imelda pummeled the Houston region and created dangerous flooding situations on Thursday. The storm system, now referred to as an "open wave" by the National Hurricane Center was forecast to bring more precipitation through Friday.

As rains lessened and residents prepared to head home at the end of the work day, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner asked for patience and advised people to stay off flooded roads to avoid creating a traffic nightmare. At a press conference to provide an update on the flooding caused by tropical storm Imelda, officials said residents were better off staying where they are and waiting for the water to go down.

Even when Houston was finally rid of the worst, downtown highways remained littered with abandoned cars submerged in water. Thousands of other drivers were at a practical standstill on narrowed lanes near flooded banks. Imelda is the first named storm to impact the Houston area since Harvey hovered for days and inundated the flood-prone Gulf Coast.

The National Weather Service said that many of the hardest hit areas during Harvey were impacted by rain from Imelda. Preliminary rainfall totals of 43.15 inches were reported in Jefferson County, which the National Weather Service said would make Imelda the seventh wettest tropical cyclone in U.S. history and the fourth wettest tropical cyclone to impact Texas.

A civil emergency message from the National Weather Service on Thursday said that due to flash flood emergencies in northeast Harris County, Montgomery County, Liberty County and Chambers County, emergency management officials are requesting that residents stay put and shelter in place. Those traveling on highways need to avoid the areas facing severe flash floods and anyone trapped inside their homes due to flooding should call emergency personnel.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster on Thursday in the following counties due to flooding: Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Orange and San Jacinto.

Turner said most of the 911 calls they had received were from people stranded in their cars on flooded roads. Turner said those stranded on roads should only call 911 if they were in a life-threatening situation. A list of high water locations is available via the Houston Transtar website.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said his office was receiving a number of calls for high-water rescues at homes and for stranded motorists mostly in northeast and east Harris County. One man rescued from a submerged van in Harris County at Will Clayton and Highway 59 North was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to Gonzalez.

The sheriff's office said that it tended to nearly a thousand weather-related calls on Thursday, including just over 400 high-water rescues.

A second fatality was reported in Jefferson County where a man trying to move his horse got electrocuted and drowned, according to information shared by the sheriff's office there.

Photos posted to social media showed heavy flooding in Winnie and Beaumont. Police in Beaumont were asking residents to only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies and said residents can call 311 for non-critical assistance. Police also warned that there may be downed power lines in some areas that may be laying in water. Most service roads are flooded and access to I-10 and Highway 69 is extremely limited, according to police.

As of 1 p.m. central time, police in Beaumont had received over 760 weather-related calls.

The Chambers County Sheriff's Office said the community of Winnie was being devastated by rising water. High water rescue vehicles and airboats have been deployed. A curfew had also been enacted in parts of Chambers County.

The Houston Health Department urged residents to stay out of floodwaters for health reasons. The department said anyone who has come in contact with floodwaters should do the following:

• Wash the area with soap and clean water as soon as possible. If you don’t have soap or water, use alcohol-based wipes or sanitizer.
• Take care of wounds and seek medical attention if necessary.
• Wash clothes contaminated with floodwater in hot water and detergent before reusing them.

The department advised that floodwaters can also contain sharp objects like glass. A wound that comes in contact with floodwater should be monitored for redness and swelling. If a puncture wound comes into contact with floodwater, residents should check with their medical provider to see if they need a tetanus booster.

The flooding also disrupted transportation and infrastructure across the region. Significant delays were reported at both Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport but conditions were improving. Officials said anyone with a departing flight should check with their airline about flight status. Access in and out of Bush Airport was poor but officials said it was improving.

The Houston Independent School District, which remained open on Thursday, announced that classes on Friday, Sept. 20 had been canceled. According to Harris County emergency officials, the following school districts have also canceled classes for Friday, Sept. 20:

• Channelview ISD
• Crosby ISD
• Galena Park ISD
• Huffman ISD
• Humble ISD
• Sheldon ISD
• St. Thomas University
• Goose Creek CISD
• Aldine ISD

All METRO bus and rail service had also been suspended due to the weather. Service had since been restored but residents were warned of delays due to road conditions.

Residents can also find up to date information on the Ready Harris website.

Reporting and writing from The Associated Press was used in this report.