Harvey Pummels Humble, Kingwood Region As Storm Continues Drift Toward Louisiana

HUMBLE, TX — While areas of Houston are beginning to emerge from the vicious beating from Hurricane Harvey, some are still being assaulted by the storm that simply won’t go away. Residents in Humble, Kingwood and Atascocita have endured an endless pounding of heavy rain and floodwaters that have sent residents scrambling for higher ground or a safe haven.

Both the San jacinto River and Cypress Creek breached their banks and flooded roads, bridges and homes. (Want to get daily updates about Hurricane Harvey and other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Humble-Kingwood Patch morning newsletter.)

On Tuesday, the remnants of the former Category 4 hurricane took the fight to Humble and Kingwood, filling the San Jacinto River until it spilled onto sections of Interstate 69 covering the roadway as it crested at more than 68 feet, breaking a record that had stood for 23 years.

Read: Hurricane Harvey: Storm Continues To Test Houston, HPD Officer Drowns

As the waters rose, many living nearby were frozen with fear when their homes took on water, then fled and waited to be rescued. More than 400 residents of the area were rescued and brought to safety in boats by police and fire departments in Humble and Houston.

In Humble, people found shelter at the Humble Civic Center, Kingwood Junior High and the Lone Star College-Kingwood Gymnasium.

More than 200 poured into the Humble Civic Center during the onslaught and were helped by Humble City Councilman Norman Funderburk, who rolled up his sleeves to help with rescue efforts in Northshire subdivision.

The schools are serving as makeshift shelters. It's unclear when schools across the Houston area will open for the 2017-2018 school year. They were scheduled to ope, but officials pushed the first day of school back a week, to Sept. 5, before Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast Friday.

School officials aren't sure if recovery from the devastating hurricane will be far enough along for kids to return to their classrooms Tuesday after the Labor Day holiday.

"The very best thing for kids is to get back to business, which may not be possible for many of our families, but as soon as we can, we will be open," Humble school Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen said as she rolled up her sleeves to help the evacuees. "But today, I am not sure when we will open."

The area remains under a flash flood warning until 11:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Rescued: A Coast Guard rescue team evacuates people from a neighborhood inundated by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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