Aftermath of Hurricane Beryl: Here's why Houston's streets flood

HOUSTON — After Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday morning, power outages and flooding continues to impact millions of residents in Houston and surrounding areas. 

At a news conference, city officials provided some insight on why Houston’s streets are prone to flooding.

“As far as our streets are concerned, it is important to remember that our primary drainage mechanism throughout this city is our streets,” Houston Public Works Chief Operating Officer Randy Macchi said. “For better or worse, that is the reality of the situation.”

Macchi said that Houston’s street infrastructure was designed to fill up with any excess water so that it can be conveyed out to the appropriate outfalls and drainage channels.

“When we have an event like this, our streets are going to naturally drain slower than we are used to,” Macchi added. “And so, we ask people to be very patient as they do that and that’s why– we’d like you to stay home as long as you possibly can to allow for the streets for time to clear.” 

Macchi said there will also be hazards like debris when the streets are draining.

“Once the storm passes and it’s safe for our crews to be able to do so in conjunction with fire and police, we’ll be out there,” Macchi concluded. 

RELATED: KHOU 11 COVERAGE | Latest updates: Beryl leaves millions without power, streets flooded

Watch Monday’s full press conference in the video below. You can also check road conditions online here.