Flash flooding a threat as thunderstorms hit Houston region

Spring firefighter Kenneth Eisfeldt lifts 3-year-old Valerie Negrete to safety as the family is evacuated from One Westfield Lake Apartment in Houston, Texas, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The Negrete family had not been out of their home since Sunday. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and major highways were closed after the rains that started Sunday overwhelmed Houston's bayous. Forecasters have issued another flash flood watch for Houston through Wednesday night. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT less Spring firefighter Kenneth Eisfeldt lifts 3-year-old Valerie Negrete to safety as the family is evacuated from One Westfield Lake Apartment in Houston, Texas, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The Negrete family had ... more Photo: Steve Gonzales, Associated Press Photo: Steve Gonzales, Associated Press Image 1 of / 203 Caption Close Flash flooding a threat as thunderstorms hit Houston region 1 / 203 Back to Gallery

Rain showers began falling Wednesday morning in northwest Harris County as another round of thunderstorms slowly marched into the Houston region, prompting fears of more flooding in areas already underwater.

The slow-moving storms are likely to linger in the area throughout much of the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy rains started falling in the Cypress area before 9:30 a.m. In Waller County, which has been deluged in recent days, the heavy rainfall was brief Wednesday morning and no already-inundated areas reported increased flooding.

Northwest Harris County also has been hard hit, causing rain-swollen Cypress Creek to spill over its banks onto roads, flooding apartment complexes and houses. The floodwaters forced hundreds of people to be evacuated Tuesday.

No further evacuations were reported in northwest Harris County Wednesday morning but rescue crews were staged nearby at Champion Forest Baptist Church, 15555 Stuebner Airline Road.

Even before the rains hit Wednesday, evacuations began in flooded spots in north Harris County.

Wednesday's storms, forecasters said, will likely drop between about 1 inch and 3 inches of rain in most spots, but some areas could receive more.

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Areas already flooded, especially in northwest Harris County along Cypress Creek, could see floodwaters increase.

"If the rain falls over vulnerable areas we could see more flash flooding," said Dan Reilly, a meteorologist with the weather service.

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect until Wednesday evening for much of southeast Texas, including Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, Galveston and Waller counties.

Reilly said more rain is forecast for Thursday, increasing the chance for more flooding.

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"Even after today we're not out of the woods," Reilly said.

The area may dry out on Friday and Saturday, when little or no rain is expected before the chance of rain increases to 30 percent on Sunday and Monday.

Floodwaters have yet to recede in areas of northwest Harris County, where Cypress Creek remains over its banks, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Some roads in the area remain closed by floodwaters.

Evacuations of residents were completed Tuesday at an assisted-living center in north Harris County surrounded by high water.

EDITOR'S PICKS: Incredible photos from Aprils's storms

In hard-hit Waller County, more than a dozen roads remained blocked. The closures included Morton Road from FM 362 to FM 2855, Highway 90 at Cardiff Road and Peach Ridge at Interstate 10.

Though the Brazos River was no longer predicted to crest as high in Simonton as once was thought, a voluntary evacuation remained in place mid-day Wednesday in the city, which is nestled along the winding waterway in northwest Fort Bend County.

The city since Tuesday morning had been advising residents "if they don't have to be here, not to be here," Mayor Daniel McJunkin said.

Seven or so of the city's 270 homes had received some water, only one of which had been flooded by a couple of feet, McJunkin said. The city had been notified of about nine homes that had self-evacuated, which the county sheriff's office was helping to monitor.

Still, the outlook Wednesday seemed to be improving.

"The good news is that the projections from the Brazos River as coming down from Hempstead to us have mitigated," McJunkin said, explaining that it seemed the water in Simonton would stay within the riverbanks -- "but barely."

The Hempstead prediction upriver showed the water level in Simonton would hit 47.5 feet, just bellow a 48-foot trigger point city officials worry about.

"All of the indications are positive presently," McJunkin said when reached by phone just before noon Wednesday. "Although we do have localized flooding, it is by no means what other cities have had to deal with."

County officials and local volunteers also continued to man pumps to get water out of neighborhoods and back into the river.

"I just can't say enough about how this community comes together in a time of need such as this," McJunkin said. "It's one of the great things about Simonton."

In addition to Simonton, Fort Bend County officials are keeping an eye on Tierra Grande and parts of the city of Kendleton, entries to which may get cut off as the San Bernard River continues to rise.

Officials distributed fliers Monday to residents in both areas, warning them that they might lose access to their neighborhoods as the waterway rose and other creeks and tributaries leading to it backed up, said Lach Mullen, a planner in the county's office of emergency management.

In Tierra Grande, a subdivision in the southwest portion of the county where many homes are built on stilts, a low crossing was expected to be submerged but hadn't been reported closed yet as of early Wednesday afternoon, Mullen said.

"That's kind of an expected impact every time it does this," Mullen said, explaining that homeowners usually anticipate it and houses don't typically flood. "They just lose access to the rest of the world."

Nearby, to the northwest of Tierra Grande, Mullen said neighborhoods in Kendleton could also be cut off, but not necessarily.

Like their neighbors in Fort Bend County, officials in Brazoria County were keeping an eye on the Brazos and San Bernard Rivers.

Only one road closure was in place Wednesday afternoon, on Cow Creek Bridge along County Road 25, county spokesperson Sharon Trower said. No voluntary evacuations were yet implemented.

In preparation for rising water levels, residents had been asked to remove boats or get them to a safe area because of debris expected to come down the river, Trower said.

Those who needed help with livestock in areas of the county that could flood were also asked to call the AgriLife Extension Office at 979-864-1558.

"We're just continuing to monitor the rivers, both of them," Trower said.

High water in Montgomery County has receded from most roads that were closed Tuesday because of flooding. However, the Grand Parkway service road between Interstate 45 and U.S. 59 remains underwater.

Officials have blocked about a dozen roads in Fort Bend County for high water or other dangers related to flooding.

County Judge Craig Doyal urged residents to take steps to determine the extent of damage to their properties. He recommended they submit a damage report at mctxoem.org, or call call 936-523-3916 or the United Way 281-292-4155 ext. 245.

He said this will allow the county to formally assess damages and qualify for federal aid.