Jan Wesner Childs
High water kept several roads in Houston closed Wednesday morning, a day after Tropical Storm Beta dropped more than a foot of rain in some areas.
Closures were still being reported on at least 10 sections of roads. That was down from dozens on Tuesday, when the storm moved ashore after making landfall southwest of the city. A few frontage lanes and ramps remained closed on interstates, including I-10, I-69 and I-45. A section of State Highway 87 also was not yet open.
Residents in the Houston area were advised to stay home through Wednesday morning. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said that would give time for floodwaters to recede.
(MORE: Latest Forecast for What's Left of Beta)
"Don't try and go outside," Hidalgo said in an update posted to Twitter Tuesday night. "Nobody drives into high water thinking they are going to lose their car. Yet people do it, so don't be one of those folks."
Non-essential city employees were told to report to work two hours later than usual Wednesday morning.
All Houston Independent School District facilities were closed Wednesday, although virtual online learning wasn't affected. Several other area school districts were also closed. On the coast, classes were canceled at Texas A&M Galveston.
Hidalgo said there were some reports of flooded homes in the southeastern part of Harris County.
Monday and Tuesday, Beta caused coastal flooding in areas including Galveston and Port Arthur, covered streets throughout Houston with water and brought minor flooding to parts of Louisiana battered last month by Hurricane Laura.
(MORE: Here's What Happens if a Tropical Storm or Hurricane With a Greek Alphabet Name Needs to Be Retired)
Drivers abandoned cars on Houston roadways as the water rose. First responders conducted nearly 100 high-water rescues in the city, the Houston Chronicle reported. Many were on the south side of the city near where Keegans Bayou overflowed its banks.
Some flooding was reported Tuesday in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, where Hurricane Laura came ashore Aug. 27.
"We definitely have some flooding in the low-lying southern parts of the parish," Sheriff Ron Johnson told the Daily Advertiser. "No houses or structures have flooded, but some roads are impassable. It's affecting us as to how we get where."
People with campers were advised to leave. Overall, there weren't many residents to evacuate since so many lost their homes to Laura, Johnson said.
Beta was downgraded to a tropical depression as it slowly moved over the coast, and on Wednesday, its remnants were forecast to move across southeastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, southwestern Tennessee, western and northern Alabama.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
No comments:
Post a Comment