Heavy rains Thursday afternoon cause street flooding across Houston, stranding vehicles

HOUSTON — Heavy rainfall caused street flooding across Houston Thursday, leaving drivers stranded in floodwaters and forcing road closures throughout the city. The flooding was particularly severe in the Galleria area and west Houston, where vehicles became trapped in rising water and emergency crews had to rescue at least one driver.

Rain fell hard and fast in certain spots in the city, creating the type of conditions that typically lead to Houston’s notorious flooding problems. In the Galleria area, traffic came to a complete standstill as water crept up, leaving some vehicles completely stranded in the floodwaters.

Some drivers heeded official warnings and avoided the dangerous conditions altogether. Mary, a local driver, made the smart choice to pull over when she spotted trouble ahead. 

“I’m just playing it safe. You know I saw a car stuck there and just pulled here,” she said. Mary followed the standard safety advice that officials always emphasize: “You always say stop, turn around, don’t go in through the water, and that’s what I did.”

However, not everyone was as fortunate. Jamal Harris was just minutes from his home when he encountered rising floodwater. 

“By the time I got here, like, water basically got in my car, and I think I got in my engine,” Harris explained. Despite his best judgment, the water proved too deep. “I thought I could make it through, but apparently I did not make it through,” he said. The damage inside his vehicle was extensive, with water still pooling in the floorboard hours after the incident.

The flooding made numerous stretches of road completely impassable throughout the city. At one underpass, a FedEx truck became stranded in the rising water, though the driver was safely rescued by emergency crews.

KHOU 11 Chief Meteorologist David Paul tracked conditions throughout the storm, reporting from various locations across the affected areas. At a gas station on the corner of Westheimer and Chimney Rock, he saw drivers waiting not for fuel, but for floodwaters to recede. The gas station had become an impromptu refuge, with drivers parking along the edges and waiting for conditions to improve.

“It is just a mess and there are scenes like this all over west Houston right now,” Paul said.

Some areas had more than 4 inches of rain in mere hours, while some areas had no rain.

The storm conditions created additional hazards beyond just standing water. Near Post Oak Boulevard, an uncovered manhole presented another danger to drivers. Houston Police Department officers blocked off the road to prevent vehicles from driving into the opening, diverting traffic while crews worked to secure the area.

The severe weather also disrupted air travel, causing a ground stop at Bush Airport that impacted flights and stranded travelers.

The flooding serves as a stark reminder of how quickly conditions can deteriorate on Houston’s streets when storms move through the area. By the time the water drained from the intersection where much of the drama unfolded, the scene looked dramatically different from just hours earlier when the entire area had been underwater with vehicles stalled throughout.

Officials continue to stress the importance of the “turn around, don’t drown” message whenever drivers encounter high water on Houston’s roads.