HOUSTON (AP) – Thunderstorms raced through the Houston area Thursday, aggravating flooding in already drenched parts of the city as mandatory evacuations were ordered for low-lying neighborhoods in a community about 50 miles away.
Houston and surrounding counties have received more than a foot of rain since Sunday night, and the flooding has forced thousands of people from their homes as creeks and bayous became overwhelmed. At least eight deaths have been blamed on the weather.
A heavy rainstorm Thursday morning dumped more than an inch of rain in less than an hour in some areas of Harris County, which includes most of Houston.
“We’re seeing some minor rises in some creeks,” Jeff Lindner, with the Harris County Flood Control District, said. “It doesn’t look like we’ll see enough rain to see more widespread flooding.”
Water likely would collect in some streets but subside once the rain stopped, he said.