Thunderstorms bring flooding, power outages to Houston area

HOUSTON (AP) — Heavy rain is battering parts of southeast Texas prompting flash flood warnings, power outages and calls for water rescues.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for central Fort Bend County Tuesday evening and says thunderstorms will bring rain, hail and strong winds to areas along the Gulf coast.

The storms dropped as much as four inches of rain in parts of Houston by early evening, and more heavy weather is forecast to move in later in the week.

The Houston Fire Department is reporting that parts of some streets are completely underwater northeast of the city. It says it has set up water rescue command and has high-water vehicles staged in the area.

The Houston Chronicle reports the rain knocked out power to thousands of people.