Texas flooding: Weather conditions in Houston-area communities with high water

HOUSTON — After a relatively quiet day weather on Saturday, showers and storms picked back up Sunday. Areas like Kingwood, Channelview, Humble, Atascocita and other communities along swollen rivers remain under water. With more rain coming, conditions aren’t expected to improve.

Below, we’re keeping updates from around the Houston area, plus have a list of resources for people dealing with flooding conditions.

Water levels are expected to keep rising and disaster declarations have already been signed in Harris County and further north in Huntsville. Those allow for more resources to be deployed.

The City of Houston opened its joint information center Friday morning and the state is sending extra high-water vehicles to help.

Houston Police Department dive team members were checking flood damage in Kingwood when they found two women trapped. 

They got them to safety and one woman was taken to an area hospital to be checked out. 

The San Jacinto River Authority said the release from Lake Conroe was still at 16,105 cubic feet per second at 4:30 p.m. with a level of 201.65. 

The lake remains closed due to the possibility of submerged objects, floating debris and other hazards that could pose safety risks.

Heavy rain isn’t the only thing causing issues in the Houston area. 

High winds uprooted trees in some areas.

Thanks to Chase D. for these photos of storm damage in the Magnolia area of Montgomery County where several trees fell.

The American Red Cross opened shelters in Harris, Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto, Montgomery, and Trinity Counties in response to the recent flooding due to rain and the rising waters around the rivers. 

As of Saturday night, they had over 100 people and 20 pets staying in the nine shelters. That’s down from 216 on Friday. 

Volunteers had served more than 2,000 meals by Sunday. 

If you were impacted and need Red Cross assistance, please call 1-800-Red-Cross.

RELATED: List: Several shelters are open across Houston area

Water up to your knees or thighs might look harmless. Here’s why experts with NOAA say it’s not.

• A foot of fast-moving water can carry away a small car.
• 18-24 inches of fast-moving water can carry away most large SUVs, trucks and vans.
• Only six inches of water can knock over and carry away an adult.

Precinct 4 reminds residents of northeast Houston and Harris County that some streets are still underwater and they should stay out of those areas. 

“Turn around, don’t drown” might sound like a cliche, but drivers ignore the advice every time the streets flood. 

If you live in a flooded area, stay out of the water. 

Even if it’s not deep, hidden dangers could be lurking below, the Harris County Office of Emergency Management warns. 

They include snakes, fire ants, electrical hazards, hazardous waste, chemical leaks and submerged debris. 

A bit of good news from the Houston Office of Emergency Management. Just after noon Sunday, they said the bridge over West Lake Houston Parkway is now open.

However, the underpass at I-69/Hamblen Road remains closed.

With additional rain overnight, Lake Conroe remains temporarily closed due to the possibility of submerged objects, floating debris, and other hazards that could pose safety risks.

High winds and rapidly flowing water from local streams can result in a large amount of floating debris on the reservoir. With bulkheads becoming submerged, lake area residents should also be cautious of electrical outlets and equipment coming into contact with water.

At 12 p.m. Sunday, the San Jacinto River Authority was releasing 16,105 cubic feet per second. The lake level is 201.77 feet.

Reporter Katiera Winfrey is on the east side of Harris County, where rain started to really come down, making a bad situation worse. Here’s her report from just before 11 a.m.

If you have to get out today, you might run into street flooding or trees down. 

This one was blocking West. 43rd St. near Citadel Lane in NW Houston.

“Due to inclement weather, the final round of the Insperity Invitational has been cancelled,” a message posted on the tournament’s website said. 

According to KHOU 11 Sports’ Jason Bristol, Scott Dunlap (-9) has been named the leader.

The City of Houston was under a moderate risk for flooding Sunday. KHOU 11 reporter Victor Jacobo is in town, watching conditions.  You can see his report that ran on KHOU 11 Morning News below.

River Road in Channelview was turning into just that. KHOU 11 reporter Katiera Winfrey was in that area, tracking water levels. It’s the same spot where reporter Stephen Goin was on Saturday night, tracking rescues.

Reporter Stephen Goin was in Channelview Saturday. Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office told KHOU 11 News 22 adults, six children and some animals were rescued from some neighborhoods Saturday. 

Reporter Anayeli Ruiz was in Kingwood Saturday where residents have been experiencing flooding for days and they now face the possibility of more flooding from rain on Sunday.

Reporter Katiera Winfrey was in Humble on Saturday. Residents there know that flooding is part of life along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. That doesn’t make what’s happening now any easier.

The Kingwood area has been hit hard by flooding. On Saturday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire and HPD Chief Troy Finner took an aerial tour of the area. Here are some of the sights they saw. 

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo gave an update on flooding Saturday before touring areas in the northern portion of the county. She said that the evacuation order remains.  She also said that right now the county is at a Level 1 response, which is the maximum. She expects to be at Level 3 by tomorrow afternoon.  You can see her full press conference below. 

KHOU 11 reporter Matt Dougherty and photojournalist Ryan Phillips rode along with Precinct 4 deputies Friday on a scouting mission in their high-water rescue vehicles, looking for residents needing help. 

They found isolated subdivisions with neighbors whose culdesacs had become islands. 

More than two dozen people were rescued from their flooded homes in Plum Grove on Friday. Plum Grove is about 20 minutes south of Cleveland.

The San Jacinto River Authority said more than 20 inches of rain fell north of Lake Conroe over the last week.

At 204 feet, the lake has reached its third-highest level ever.

SJRA said they have to release water from the lake to get it back to a safe level of 201 feet and preserve the safety and integrity of the dam.

Lake Conroe releases flow into the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. Inflows from the West Fork and East Fork flow into Lake Houston.

There are more than 12 tributaries that contribute to the levels at Lake Houston. The latest reports from the National Weather Service and Harris County Flood Control District predict the peak at Lake Houston Saturday evening.

Lake Livingston reached an all-time high of 133 feet.

RELATED: When will the San Jacinto River reach its peak?

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies rescued 11 adults and 9 children from Tortuga Circle in Idlewilde, which is in the Huffman area. 

Gonzalez said his deputies had rescued 39 people and 13 animals from flooded neighborhoods as of 3:54 p.m. on Friday.

United Way of Houston said 211 is manned 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

“If you require assistance, please don’t hesitate to call 2-1-1 day or night,” United Way posted on Instagram.

Several area roads still had high water on Friday afternoon, according to Houston TranStar. You can see their full list here. 

Just before 3 p.m. Friday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said it’s now too late for residents near the San Jacinto River who ignored mandatory evacuation orders to leave. 

“On the San Jacinto River East Fork, it’s too late to evacuate preemptively & folks are being assisted off their rooftops,” Hidalgo posted on X. “If you are on the West Fork or south of Lake Houston you still have an opportunity to leave. Otherwise, prepare to stay in place for 2-3 days.”

Emergency officials expect the San Jacinto River to rise to 78 feet above sea level, which means there will be significant flooding.

“That is just three feet below where it was during (Hurricane) Harvey. So, we will go 78 feet higher than we were the other day, which means even elevated structures will get water. It also means street side structures will have rooftop flooding,” Hidalgo said Thursday in a press conference.

Officials said the river will likely crest this weekend. That is why mandatory evacuations have been issued.

“Even elevated structures will get water. It also means street-side structures will have rooftop flooding. It means the water will be hitting power lines,” Hidalgo said.

These are the neighborhoods included in the evacuation order.

• Idle Glen
• Idle Wild
• Northwood Country Estates
• River Terrace
• Cypress Point
• Commons of Lake Houston

Voluntary evacuation advisories for several other communities around the San Jacinto River. People in the following areas should leave or plan to be stuck for two or three days.

• Kingwood near the west fork of the river
• Forest Cove
• North Shore
• Bellawood
• River Crest
• Rio Villa
• Kingspoint
• Atascocita Shores

RELATED: List: High water locations across Houston area

In Montgomery County, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order and said roads were closed because of flooding along the river. The area got about 5 to 8 inches of rain within 24 hours, with some spots getting as much as 10 to 12 inches of rain, said National Weather Service meteorologist Hayley Adams.

“We are still having to rescue motorists who ignore barricades or water over roadways and place themselves and first responders in harms way,” Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said Friday in a Facebook post.

A family in McDade Estates in Conroe sent us photos of water inside their home. McDade Estates is a subdivision along the east side of the San Jac W Fork along FM 2854.

Shelters are now open and available for any residents who need to evacuate because of flooding concerns. Pets are welcome at both locations.

South Montgomery County

East Montgomery County

The storm brought down trees and left vehicles stranded. It prompted the San Jacinto River Authority to close Lake Conroe and increase water releases from the dam that created the reservoir.

The San Jacinto River Authority said Friday morning that with a reduction in inflows into Lake Conroe and reduced rain overnight, dam operators have lowered the release from Lake Conroe to 48,528 CFS. The lake level is currently 204.3 feet. There will continue to monitor rain and runoff in the area throughout the day. 

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a press conference Friday morning she spoke with Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy who told her that more than 700 homes had been flooded. She explained that while people there were prepared to be stuck in their homes for a few days, they were not prepared to be without water.

RELATED: Boil water notice issued for several Lake Livingston communities

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has seen impacts to multiple sites due to the recent, extended rain and flooding experienced by parts of the state.

TPWD officials said state parks such as Huntsville, Village Creek and Fort Parker have closed. Once floodwaters recede, park areas will remain closed until repairs and cleanup have finished and areas are safe for public use.

Here is a complete list of parks that are closed.