A flash flood emergency has been declared in the Houston area of Texas by the National Weather Service after water reached the second floors of houses south of the city. The heavy rains were brought about by hurricane Harvey, now downgraded to a tropical storm.
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Reports of water reaching the second storeys of houses and apartment complexes came not only from southern Huston, but also from Dickinson in nearby Galveston County.
Some rivers in the Huston area were at around eight to ten feet (2.4-3 meters) over their banks, WBTV reported.
Over a thousand people have been rescued from the affected area since early Saturday.
“I know for a fact this is the worst flood Houston has ever experienced,” Patrick Blood, National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Houston Chronicle.
Blood warned that the “catastrophic flooding in the Houston metropolitan area is expected to worsen.”
The Weather Service office in Houston reported that 24.1 inches (61 cm) of rain fell in the 24 hours following 7 a.m. Sunday morning.
During a press-conference on Sunday, Houston mayor Sylvester Turner said emergency services have responded to more than 2,000 calls to 911 in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
There were 250 vehicle rescues carried out in the storm, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena.
Mayor Turner urged people to stay indoors and refrain from driving, as many streets in the city are flooded, AP reported.
He ordered the downtown George R. Brown Convention Center to be turned into a shelter for those fleeing the flood.
Turner also defended his decision not to ask people to evacuate before Hurricane Harvey hit the city bringing the heavy rainfall.
“If you think the situation right now is bad and you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare,” the mayor explained.
Via RT. This piece was reprinted by RINF Alternative News with permission or license.