Torrential rainfall continues to overwhelm rivers in Texas, and a slow-moving storm system will add even more water to flood-ravaged towns through the weekend.
According to ABC:
In the past 60 days, about three feet of rain has fallen in eastern Texas, even closing down parts of Interstate 35 near San Pedro after six inches of rainfall fell Thursday morning alone. Areas west of San Antonio also received up to a half of foot of rain this morning, producing flash flooding.
Video taken near Cibolo, east of San Antonio, shows lightning illuminating a pitch-black sky as thunderstorms hit at 3 a.m. The resident called the weather event a “mesmerizing display of lightning and loud thunder.”
he Brazos River at Richmond has crested at a historic level at 55 feet, more than five feet about the previous record set in 1994. The river is so overcapacity that it is spilling into typically untouched areas, according to the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management. It will remain in major flood stage through the weekend.
More than 1,400 homes have been affected by the flooded Brazos River. The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents not to return to their homes. Four hundred and fifty-four rescues have taken place in the area so far.
Meantime, the Brazos River at Richmond is slowly falling. It is still above major flood stage and is forecast to stay above major flood stage through Tuesday, so it could be days before people get back to their homes.
Many of those who evacuated woke up in area shelters on Friday.
Janie Vega, who is staying in a shelter, said, “We don’t know what we are going to go home to, I mean we at least want to see how far the water, as far as the neighbors, try have been saying it’s up to four feet and that’s about how high my trailer is, about four feet.”
She added, “We didn’t get a chance to pack or nothing, we just grabbed some little things and just came over here.”
Another flood victim, Melinda Gendotti, said, “We were in our house since Monday and we were doing good, we had electricity, we had water, so we figured it would be OK, and then the water kept coming up into the driveway. I am little concerned with all the rain. … If it doesn’t go down or had enough time to go down before all the rain, it might cause a major issue for inside the house.”