By JAMIE STENGLE and LEKAN OYEKANMI (Associated Press)
HOUSTON (AP) — Storms in Texas brought additional rain Sunday to the already congested Houston area, where tons of of individuals were rescued from flooded homes and streets. North within the Fort Worth area, a baby died after being swept away when the automobile he was in became stuck in floodwaters.
More than 20 inches of rain fell in areas near Lake Livingston, northeast of Houston, last week, said Hayley Adams, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, she said, as much as 12 inches of rain fell in northeast Harris County, which incorporates Houston.
Adams said the storms coming through Sunday were expected to bring as much as 3 inches of additional precipitation, with as much as 8 inches possible in some areas, before truly fizzling out within the evening.
“It will rain throughout the day and some of the storms could produce heavier rainfall,” Adams said.
CHILD DIES IN SUPERWATER
In Johnson County, south of Fort Worth, a 5-year-old boy died when he was swept away after the vehicle he was riding in became stuck in fast-moving water near the community of Lillian just before 2 a.m. Sunday, an individual said Official .
The child and two adults were attempting to get to shore after they were swept away, Johnson County Emergency Management Director Jamie Moore wrote in a Facebook post.
The two adults were rescued about 5 a.m. and brought to a hospital, while the kid was found dead within the water about 7:20 a.m., Moore said.
Storms brought 9 inches of rain in six to eight hours to some areas from Central Texas to Dallas-Fort Worth overnight, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Stalley said. Stalley said the rains flooded some roads west of Waco.
RIVER STAGES IN THE HOUSTON AREA
In recent days, storms have forced quite a few flood rescues within the Houston area, including some from the roofs of flooded homes.
Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, said Sunday afternoon that “things are slowly improving.”
“We have water in our river systems,” Lindner said. The San Jacinto River peaked Saturday, with its east and west branches and its foremost branch below Lake Houston falling from 1 foot to three feet overnight. he said.
Lindner said Sunday's additional rain didn’t appear to have caused any latest flooding up to now. He urged people to proceed to watch out as many areas were still flooded.
“We really need everyone to wait another day until we feel like conditions are safe,” Lindner said.
Greg Moss, 68, remained stranded in his mobile home Sunday after leaving his home in eastern Harris County's Channelview community near the San Jacinto River. On Saturday, he packed up a lot of his belongings and headed out before the road to his home was flooded.
“I would be stuck for four days,” Moss said. “So now I can at least go get something to eat.”
Moss took his belongings and vehicle to a neighbor's house, where he planned to remain until the water receded. He said on Sunday that the floodwaters had already subsided by a number of meters and that he was not anxious that his house can be flooded since it is on high ground.
“It’s okay to go there in the morning,” he said.
Houston is susceptible to flooding
Houston is one of the vital flood-prone metropolitan areas within the country. The city of greater than 2 million residents has years of experience coping with devastating weather.
The Houston area's system of bayous and reservoirs was built to empty heavy rainfall, however the technology, originally conceived nearly 100 years ago, has struggled to maintain up with city growth and major storms.
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Stengle contributed to this report from Dallas. Associated Press reporter Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report.
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