Powerful storms shut down schools Overflowing bayous, flooding, tornadoes ravage some areas

Scattered debris remains evident Sunday at La Porte ISD's Jennie Reid Elementary School, which experienced the worst damage from Saturday's storms. ﻿ Scattered debris remains evident Sunday at La Porte ISD's Jennie Reid Elementary School, which experienced the worst damage from Saturday's storms. ﻿ Photo: James Nielsen, Staff Photo: James Nielsen, Staff Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Powerful storms shut down schools 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Classes are canceled Monday at some schools in La Porte, Clear Creek and Austin because of damage suffered during Saturday's storms.

La Porte ISD issued a district-wide closure for students on Monday after storms swept through Central Texas. Flash flooding, overflowing bayous and tornadoes ravaged the area early Saturday. Houston authorities, who performed more than 130 water rescues, are still investigating whether two deaths were connected to the storm system that submerged some neighborhoods in as much as a foot of water.

La Porte Superintendent Lloyd W. Graham said support staff for the roughly 8,000-student district would still be on duty to help with clean-up. Jennie Reid Elementary School suffered the most harm, with flooding and roof damage expected to keep the school closed on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.

The drains on the school's roof broke, causing the damage, said La Porte ISD public relations director Terri Cook.

La Porte High School also experienced flooding in its career and technical education classrooms, and the Baker Sixth Grade Campus power feed was destroyed during the storm, Cook said.

The power feed has been restored but will need additional repairs. Maintenance started working on repairs as soon as the storm slowed Saturday morning.

The ACE program at La Porte High School will be held as planned on Monday, but dual enrollment classes at the college center were canceled.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with members of the La Porte ISD family who were adversely affected by the storms that swept through our area this weekend," Graham said in a news release. "If we can assist anyone, we want them to feel free to contact us."

La Porte officials reported scattered debris and uprooted trees in the area. About 70 homes there were damaged in the storms.

Greene Elementary School in Clear Creek ISD will also be closed to students Monday, resuming classes Wednesday after a professional development day already scheduled for Tuesday. The school suffered water damage and flooding, Clear Creek ISD said in a release. No other Clear Creek ISD schools were said to be closed Monday.

Palm Elementary School in East Austin will be closed on Monday after weekend rains flooded some 23 classrooms with as much as 4 to 5 inches of water, Austin school district officials said.

Austin Independent School District restoration crews removed the water from the building and began cleaning up the campus on Saturday, officials said.

Although staff and students will continue to work in the undamaged part of the campus later in the week, the district said it will take another three to four weeks before the school will be fully operational.

Emma Hinchliffe and the Associated Press contributed to this report.