Flooding Reported in Texas; Houston Man Swept Away By Floodwaters, Sewage Overflows Into Corpus Christi Creek

Sean Breslin
Published: May 13,2015


 

Cars were swamped in the Houston area Wednesday morning as floodwaters rose on roadways, forcing dozens of drivers to abandon vehicles in the middle of the street.
Crews searched for a man who was reportedly swept away by floodwaters in the Clear Lake area, Click2Houston.com reported. Authorities say the man's car got stuck in a ditch, and then he was carried away by the rushing water at about midnight Tuesday.
Especially hard-hit was the town of Webster and surrounding areas, where persistent rainfall led to water-covered roadways and soggy low-lying homes, according to KHOU.com. Webster is located some 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
An apartment complex on Farm to Market road 528 sustained damage to its first-floor suites after heavy flooding inundated the area, KHOU said. Flood waters also encroached driveways and garages of some Angleton, Texas, homes.
Later Wednesday morning, a portion of Interstate 45 was closed near Hobby Airport due to road flooding, according to a National Weather Service storm report.
"The southeastern Houston metro area is just the latest location in the south-central states to experience flash flooding during the past week from slow-moving thunderstorms," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "Rain gauges to the southeast of Houston near Webster have measured 7 to 11 inches of rain with this latest round of flooding."
(MORE: Flash Flooding Expected To Continue in the Plains)

A water rescue was performed Tuesday morning near downtown Houston when they were trapped under a bridge and water began to rise quickly, ABC13.com reported.
Clear Creek ISD announced they would delay classes by two hours after flooding became a travel hindrance for students and teachers alike, the report added.
Flooding was also reported in the Corpus Christi area, where sewage from a wastewater line overflowed into a river. According to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, some 198,000 gallons of wastewater spilled into La Volla Creek and will need to be tested to determine how much the waterway was polluted.
In response to the sewage spill, the city issued a press release, asking residents to 'avoid swimming or fishing in the areas where warning signs are posted' as 'discharge of untreated sewage to La Volla Creek may adversely affect the quality of the surface waters.'

Multiple funnel clouds were also reported Tuesday along the Gulf Coast, according to a separate ABC13.com report, but no damage was reported.
MORE: Severe Weather in the Plains