Tornado Warning For Harris County Expired, Watch Still On Til 9

HOUSTON, TX — A Tornado Warning for Harris County expired around 6 p.m. Thursday, with no official reports of any touching down. However, the area is not out of the woods yet as more rain and winds from this system are expected to make their way through the Bayou City as night falls.

Additionally, a tornado watch is in effect for Harris County and the other surrounding counties: AUSTIN, BRAZORIA, CHAMBERS, COLORADO, FORT BEND, GALVESTON, GRIMES, HARRIS, LIBERTY, MATAGORDA, MONTGOMERY, POLK, SAN JACINTO, TRINITY, WALKER, WALLER, WASHINGTON and WHARTON.

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF: ALVIN, ANAHUAC, ANGLETON, BAY CITY, BELLVILLE, BRENHAM, BROOKSHIRE, CLEVELAND, COLDSPRING, COLUMBUS, CONROE, CORRIGAN, DAYTON, EAGLE LAKE, EDNA, EL CAMPO, FREEPORT, FRIENDSWOOD, GALVESTON, GROVETON, HEMPSTEAD, HOUSTON, HUMBLE, HUNTSVILLE, KATY, LAKE JACKSON, LEAGUE CITY, LIBERTY, LIVINGSTON, MISSOURI CITY, MONT BELVIEU, NAVASOTA, ONALASKA, PALACIOS, PASADENA, PEARLAND, PIERCE, PRAIRIE VIEW, RICHMOND, ROSENBERG, SEALY, SHEPHERD, SUGAR LAND, TEXAS CITY, THE WOODLANDS, TOMBALL, TRINITY, WEIMAR, WHARTON, WILLIS and WINNIE.

The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is monitoring the potential for severe weather, including street flooding, beginning this morning and lasting into Thursday.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch for Houston until Thursday at 7 a.m. The main threats from this system include heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and the possibility of an isolated tornado.

Various city departments have been preparing for the potential of severe weather today. This includes pre-staging barricades and high water vehicles throughout Houston.

The Office of Emergency Management is maintaining contact with the National Weather Service and Harris County Flood Control District as the storms approach Houston and begin impacting the area. OEM is also coordinating response activities and situational awareness with city departments and partner agencies.

Houston residents are reminded to:

• Turn Around, Don’t Drown. – Do not drive through flooded areas. If you come upon a flooded roadway, do not enter it. turn around. If you find yourself in a dangerous situation where your vehicle is taking on water, get out, get to a higher place and call 911.
• Monitor official sources for current conditions, such as:
  • Harris County Flood Warning System (harriscountyfws.org)
  • Houston Transtar (houstontranstar.org)
  • National Weather Service Houston/Galveston Forecast Office (weather.gov/houston)
• Monitor stream, bayou, and creek conditions – Rain may move repeatedly across the same area, causing a rise on creeks and bayous. Creeks and bayous may exceed their banks. Stay informed about conditions, and avoid traveling near creeks or bayous.
• Avoid traveling during periods of heavy rain. Rain can keep you from seeing the road ahead of you, and can result in dangerous accidents.

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)