Hurricane Harvey: Houston Floods, Torrential Rains 'Beyond Anything Experienced'

HOUSTON, TX — Rescue workers plucked hundreds of people from atop homes overcome with floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey's aftermath Sunday, and thousands more still seek rescue as torrential rains continue to punish Houston, turning roads into rushing rivers and huge swaths of neighborhoods into quickly rising swamps.

The National Weather Service warned that rain totals could reach more than 4 feet, gobbling ever more cars and houses as flotillas of rafts, canoes and small boats pick up as many fleeing residents as possible. Up to five people have already been reported dead in the floods.

Dramatic rescues were the story of the day. In one case, a Houston television station reporter and photographer flagged down a rescue boat to get a driver trapped in the cab of an 18-wheeler on a flooded highway to safety. The flooding seemed to bring out the best in people. At a Sunday afternoon news conference, Mayor Sylvester Turner said there had been only one instance of looting. (For updates about Hurricane Harvey and other events going on your area, sign up for the free Houston Patch morning newsletter and real-time news alerts.)

Harvey Still Expected To Cause More Damage

Turner was criticized for not ordering that Houstonians evacuate the city in the days before Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm, but the mayor defended his decision, saying an unplanned evacuation of a city of 2.5 million would cause a chaotic situation when no one knew what path the storm would take.

Officials have called this rainmaker an unprecedented weather event, with the weather service describing the destruction as "beyond anything experienced" even as it warned that rising waters have yet to crest.

At news conference earlier Sunday to address the catastrophic flooding, Turner said the storm is "testing the city of Houston."

"I understand people have water in their homes and are very concerned. And people are wanting the assistance right now; they’re wanting 911, and are sometimes frustrated when they can’t get to it," Turner said. "I understand that. But if we all work together, the additional resources are being deployed as we speak, and we will get to you, and we will get through this."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott provided a by-the-numbers update on the storm's continuous deluge at his own news conference Sunday, where he reminded everyone that Tropical Storm Harvey isn't over yet.

“This is going to be an historic rainfall and all-time record if it’s sustained in certain regions,” Abbott said.

On Twitter, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo implored Houstonians to remain in their homes. "Cannot emphasize enough how much flooding there is on roadways you are endangering yourself and our first responders by being out stay put ... do not think it's safe to be driving anywhere in the city," he tweeted.

Emergency officials were urging Houstonians trapped in their homes to hack a hole in their roof and crawl to safety. Calls to the Houston dispatch center were so heavy that officials asked only those in imminent danger to call. Those who are in imminent danger should call 911 or the U.S. Coast Guard Houston Command Center at (281) 464-4851, but rescuers are busy and it could take some time. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting urban rescue operations in areas of Houston and assisting the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department with rescue operations.

This unprecedented weather event has forced Houston school officials to cancel classes before they even begin Students will be out at least a week, and highly anticipated football games are likely to be rescheduled.

Several school district that have cancelled classes up until Sept. 1 indicated those closures could go until at least Labor Day until damages can be assessed.

Creeks and bayous crested and overflowed, with Brays Bayou overflowing and flooding the streets near the Texas Medical Center dowtown.

Hundreds of people were rescued in areas south of Loop 610 and Interstate 10 in Houston overnight as the remnants of Hurricane Harvey continue to bombard the city. The monster storm hit landfall at the seaport city of Rockport as a Category 4 hurricane. Though downgraded to a tropical storm, Harvey remains a deadly threat.

Rain fell overnight on Friday, and began to let up Saturday afternoon, allowing the 16 inches of rain that fell in area creeks and bayous to subside for several hours. The respite was short-lived, and a stationary band of heavy rains again hammered the Houston area Saturday night, spawning major flooding from bayous, downstream from the San Jacinto River, Cypress Creek and other bayous and creeks north of downtown.

On Saturday night, the National Weather Services declared the flooding in Houston a catastrophic weather event as the weather front settled over Texas, inundating the area and causing water to rise quickly.

Homes in Westbury, Meyerland, in Houston, and areas of Pasadena, Friendswood and Alvin were some of the hardest hit by the heavy rain, with flood waters filling homes in those areas, KPRC reported.

According to a KTRK report, the U.S. Coast Guard is conducting urban search and rescue operations in Houston.

Officials said if you need rescue to call 911 or the U.S. Coast Guard Houston Command Center at 281-464-4851.

The rain is expected to dissipate by late Sunday afternoon, and allow some of the water to subside, but more rain is coming, with the worst expected Monday and Tuesday.

Main Image: Wilford Martinez, right, is rescued from his flooded car along Interstate 610 in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Send your news tips to bryan.kirk@patch.com