Rising water threatens Houston-area homes and businesses

(3 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Houston - 3 May 2024
1. Various of a vehicle partially submerged on a flooded street
2. Tracking shot of high water and building
3. Mid of mailbox and a bike lane sign are partially submerged
4. Various of resident putting belongings into a trailer
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Austin Juneau, resident affected by the flood:
“It's actually been pretty rough. It's not as bad as Harvey. We had the house behind me where I live. We had 11 feet of water in this house during Harvey, and so we're not projecting or based off at the projections. It doesn't look like it's going to be that bad, but we still are expecting quite a bit of water, so we're making adjustments and trying to get stuff out as quick as we can, but we'll see how it goes.”
6. Mid of house
7. Tilt shot from house to water building up on the road
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Austin Juneau, resident affected by the flood:
“You can see the water coming up around us. Right now, it's come up over the road in the last hour or so. It's coming up pretty quick. And I think the major concern is what Conroe is going to do. Lake Conroe opening their dam. They're letting out a lot of water. And that feeds directly by here, which is why the water is rising so rapidly. So if they open their dam and keep it open, we're going to be in a bind.”
9. Mid of a flooded park area
10. Mid of a man fishing near a flooded road
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Austin Juneau, resident affected by the flood:
“I grew up on the river here, and I have more memories here than I have anywhere else. So I have a little girl, a ten-month-old little girl, and a wife. And I want to build a life here, too, and this is a major inconvenience. But I think the overall trade-off, the memories that we make and the relationships that we build down here on the water, I think they're worth the inconvenience.”
12. Various Houston police and emergency services cordoned off the road.
STORYLINE:
Torrential rain inundated southeastern Texas on Friday, forcing schools to cancel classes and closing numerous highways around Houston.

More than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain fell during the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a flood warning until Tuesday for the region.

A flash flood warning was also in effect in the area Friday morning.

Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release extra water from an already full reservoir.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in the nation's third-largest county, on Thursday issued a mandatory evacuation order for those living along portions of the river and called the situation “life-threatening.”

The weather service reported the river was at 66.2 feet (20.18 meters) Friday morning and expected to crest at 76.6 feet (23.35 meters) on Saturday.

The flood stage for the river is 58 feet (17.68 meters), according to the weather service.
Hidalgo warned others who live along the river in southern portions of the county that they could be stranded for days if they remain in their homes.

No injuries or deaths have been reported, but officials have reported several people being rescued from high waters.

In the city of Conroe, just north of Houston, rescuers drove boats into neighborhood subdivisions to rescue people and pets from their homes, then carrying them from the boats to higher ground.



AP video by Lekan Oyekanmi

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