Thousands
are without power in Lousiana as a slow-moving storm system compounded
by the remnants of Hurricane Patricia continues to bring severe weather
and the threat of flooding from Texas east into parts of Louisiana,
Missisippi and Arkansas Sunday.
The National Weather
Service in New Orleans reported that an EF0 tornado shifted a mobile
home off its foundation Sunday morning near Destrehan, Louisiana,
injuring an elderly woman.
However, Texas has seen the
worst of the weather so far. Some parts of Houston saw as many as 9
inches this weekend, canceling tons of outdoor events, including the
Houston Half-Marathon as well as the Gulf Coast International Dragon
Boat Regatta.
Saturday's storms pushed the EOC into
full activation ovenright as heavy rain at the rate of 2-3 inches per
hour put main arteries under water. The Houston EOC reported high water
and disabled vehicles in at least a dozen locations around the city.
Residents were urged to stay off the roads.
Map updated to include @houstonpolice verified high-water locations https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=ziIaVf_KAWMM.kTO9ly7mNs8M … #houwx #txwx #hounews
"Residents who must travel are asked
to plan extra time, and to not drive through areas of high water," the
Emergency Operation Center stated. "If water is too deep to see the
street, it is too deep for a vehicle."
By mid-morning Sunday, the EOC had returned to regular operations as the water started to recede and highways cleared.
A small levee was breached in Navarro County Sunday afternoon, a few miles southwest of Rice.
Levee breach at FM 1126 west of I-45. 1126 will be closed. #dfwwx
Most of the state's largest cities set new maximum daily rainfall records Saturday:
- Houston Intercontinental Airport: 5.54 inches
- Houston Hobby Airport: 4.53 inches
- Austin Bergstrom: 5.16 inches
- San Antonio: 4.07 inches
- Bryan/College Station Easterwood: 4.94 inches
Heavy
flooding in north and central Texas caused major headaches across the
state Saturday morning, as floodwaters continued to inundate major
highways and derailed a Union Pacific train. Swift water rescue teams
were deployed.Union Pacific spokesman Jeff DeGraff told WFAA, "Our
conductor and engineer, once they put the train into emergency stop,
they were able to jump free of the locomotive as they saw the water
start to rise. They swam to some high ground there. They're wet but in
good condition."
Train derails in flood waters outside Corsicana http://dlvr.it/CXhjkW
Interstate
45 in Navarro County reopened Sunday. Texas DOT was forced to close
part of the interstate near Corsicana after it was inundated with
floodwaters. Meteorologists say parts of the area recorded at least 20
inches of rain since Thursday.
A homeless man is
missing in San Antonio after floodwaters swept him away while he was
trying to save a dog early Saturday morning. The San Antonio Fire
Department could not find the man and had to call off their search when
inclement weather moved into the area.
A reported funnel cloud caused damage off Texas State Highway 288 and Beltway 8 in the Houston area Saturday morning.
Witnesses say a funnel cloud touched down at this industrial park off the Beltway and Fwllows.
(FORECAST: High Risk of Flash Flooding in Texas As Remnants of Patricia Arrive)
Meteorologists
say the bullseye for heavy rain Sunday into Monday moves into far
eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. Flood watches are
posted from Houston to the Florida Panhandle, including the cities of
New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Pensacola, Florida.
The
potential for flooding in Texas comes five months after torrential
spring storms caused more than 30 deaths and left large swaths of the
state underwater. The Memorial Day weekend brought an astonishing amount
of rainfall, with some isolated areas receiving more than 20 inches.
Homes were either damaged or swept away by river water southwest of Austin,
about 1,500 homes in the Houston area alone sustained flood damage, and
neighborhoods throughout the state were cut off by rising waters.
Little
rain has fallen since then. When conditions have been dry for an
extended period of time, rainwater is not easily absorbed by the soil
and flooding conditions are exacerbated by runoff.
MORE: Texas Flooding
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