Weather
Houston Area Recovering After Overnight Storms
Communities all over the Houston area experienced downed trees, minor flooding, and at least one lightning strike from severe weather.
HOUSTON, TX — The expected severe weather rolled through the Houston area early Thursday morning with a roar, and put on a spectacular lightning show, but the storms also spawned street flooding and a possible tornado near Pearland.
Heavy rain pelted northwest areas of Greater Houston for much of the day on Wednesday and as the day wore into the evening and overnight, the bands of rain became widespread.
(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)
Find out what's happening in Humble-Kingwoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In Humble, the storms dumped heavy rain overnight causing flooding along Cypress Creek, which flows into the San Jacinto River.
The runoff from the creek increased river levels by nearly three feet, and the San Jacinto River began cresting at about 5 a.m.
Find out what's happening in Humble-Kingwoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
KTRK reported that residents fear the flooding from the San Jacinto could threaten homes, but not to the extent that Hurricane Harvey did seven months ago.
Other areas of Houston were also impacted by the severe weather, with street flooding reported along various spots of Interstate 45 between The Woodlands at Rayford Road to Tidwell Road, a lightning strike at a Holiday Inn in northwest Houston that caused a fire, and down trees in San Jacinto County, near lake Livingston, according to various reports.
Meanwhile, there are several reported high water areas that drivers should avoid.
Those spots are:
- I-45 North Northbound at N. Main
- I-69 Southbound at Williams Way (Fort Bend County)
- High water on I-45 feeder road near Texas Children's Hospital in The Woodlands
- High water at Rayford Rd in The Woodlands
- Traffic signals out at Kirby and Holcombe
- Tree down on road at Kingwood Drive and Woodland Hills
- High water at I-69 Southbound feeder at San Jacinto River in Humble
- High water on FM 1960 and the Hardy Toll Road in Humble
Motorists are advised to take their time on the roads.
Image: Shutterstock
Send your news tips to bryan.kirk@patch.com
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.