Tropical Depression Imelda Floods Texas with Heavy Rain
Tropical Depression Imelda caused severe flooding in southeast Texas Thursday, Sept. 19.
On the same day, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency in 13 counties and said the weather “has caused widespread and severe property damage and threatens loss of life,” according to NPR.
The National Weather Service said more rain is in the forecast, and some areas could see 30 to 40 in. of rain in total on Friday, Sept. 20, according to NPR.
The storm is making its way to eastern Texas and western Louisiana while continuing steady rainfall. Four inches of rain hit Cedar Bayou in just an hour, NPR reported from the Harris County Flood Control District. And in Jefferson County, Imelda brought more than 42.6 in. of rain to Hamshire, in which 25 of those inches accumulated in 12 hours, according to USA Today.
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey, a category 4 storm when it made landfall, hit southeast Texas hard, especially Beaumont. Now, Imelda has left more than 20 in. of rain in the town, and Jefferson County officials say up to 10 more inches could be on the way, USA Today reported.
According to NPR, parts of southwest Louisiana should expect an additional 3 to 5 in., with isolated totals of 10 in. NPR also said the Cajun Navy is using “surface drive” boats to conduct water rescues in Vidor, Beaumont and other ares, while police in Houston are also doing high-water rescues.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Jerry strengthened into a hurricane on Thursday, Sept. 19 as it moved toward Puerto Rico. According to USA Today, the National Weather Service said the storm is expected to pass north of Puerto Rico on Saturday, Sept. 21 and east-northeast of the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Read more on flooding, hurricanes and tropical storms.
About the Author
Katie Johns
Katie Johns, editor-in-chief of Stormwater Solutions, graduated from the University of Missouri in 2016 with a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Johns joined the Stormwater Solutions team in September 2019. Johns also helps plan the annual StormCon conference and co-hosts the Talking Under Water podcast. Prior to entering the B2B industry, she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Sarasota, Florida, and a magazine assistant editor in the Chicago suburbs. She can be reached at [email protected].
Related
