A flood watch issued by the National Weather Service will be in effect until 1 p.m. May 5 for areas of northeast Harris County, including Humble, Porter, Atascocita and Kingwood, following widespread rain and releases from the Lake Conroe and Lake Houston dams.
What you need to know
On May 2, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a mandatory call for evacuation effective immediately for residents along the east fork of the San Jacinto River between FM 1485 and Lake Houston.
During a May 3 press conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the Kingwood area is a priority as water continues to flow toward the area from north of Harris County.
“Kingwood is the priority of every level of government as we stand here today,” Whitmire said. “We’re going to focus our resources and personnel here and do whatever is necessary to respond to dangerous circumstances."
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey stressed the importance of evacuating for anyone who has remained in their homes.
“The main thing is to get people out immediately,” Ramsey said. “We’ve got airboats, we’ve got rescue facilities, but it is extremely difficult [to rescue people] at 11 p.m. at night. ... Now is the time to get off the river and evacuate.”
Despite the appearance of bad weather potentially clearing up, Ramsey said water from north of Harris County will continue to flow through the area over the next couple of days.
“Every drop of water that falls north of Harris County in Montgomery County, Walker County, Liberty County is going to come through Precinct 3,” Ramsey said. “All of it ends up in Kingwood. All of it ends up in Lake Houston.”
By the numbers
Releases at the Lake Conroe Dam were at 31,934 cubic feet per second as of 4:45 p.m. May 3, according to the San Jacinto River Authority.
According to the SJRA, water levels at the west fork of the San Jacinto River near Porter are at 87.32 feet but are forecast to rise as high as 88.8 feet. Major flooding for the area would be triggered at 92 feet.
Water levels at the west fork of San Jacinto River near Humble are at 55.6 feet but are projected to rise as high as 61 feet, SJRA data shows. Major flooding for the area triggers at 52.3 feet.
At the east fork of the San Jacinto River near New Caney, water levels have risen to 76.66 feet but are projected to rise as high as 78.4 feet, SJRA data shows. Major flooding in the area triggers at 69 feet.
Water levels at Lake Houston have risen to 46.92 feet, according to the Harris County Flood Control District.
Posted May 3 at 11:23 a.m.
A flash flood warning is still in effect for areas of northeast Harris County, including Humble, Porter, Atascocita and Kingwood, following widespread rain and releases from the Lake Conroe and Lake Houston dams.
What you need to know
On May 2, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a mandatory call for evacuation effective immediately for residents along the east fork of the San Jacinto River between FM 1485 and Lake Houston.
During a May 3 press conference, Hidalgo urged residents in the area to take proper precautions, even if water levels haven’t yet risen to dangerous levels.
“Right now, you may think if you live in these neighborhoods that things have leveled off, ... but this threat is ongoing, and it’s going to get worse,” Hidalgo said. “This is a catastrophic event, and we all need to take the urgent and necessary steps to respond accordingly.”
Houston City Council member Fred Flickinger urged residents to remain aware of weather conditions with additional rainfall expected May 3.
“At this time, this complex of storms looks fairly progressive during the afternoon hours, but there is some uncertainty on how this evolves and the speed as to which it crosses the area,” Flickinger said in a statement. “Additional rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches with slightly higher isolated totals can be expected on Friday.”
By the numbers
Releases at the Lake Conroe Dam were at 44,265 cubic feet per second as of 10 a.m. May 3, according to the San Jacinto River Authority.
According to the SJRA, water levels at the west fork of the San Jacinto River near Porter are at 84.02 feet but are forecast to rise as high as 88.5 feet by 10 a.m. May 4. Major flooding for the area would be triggered at 92 feet.
Water levels at the west fork of San Jacinto River near Humble are at 54.8 feet but are projected to rise as high as 61 feet, SJRA data shows. Major flooding for the area triggers at 52.3 feet.
At the east fork of the San Jacinto River near New Caney, water levels have risen to 69.16 feet but are projected to rise as high as 78 feet by May 4, SJRA data shows. Major flooding in the area triggers at 69 feet.
Water levels at Lake Houston have risen to 46.26 feet, according to the Harris County Flood Control District.
What else?
In addition to the east fork of the San Jacinto River, Hidalgo also urged some residents along the west side to either evacuate May 2-3 or plan to shelter in place for two to three days. Those areas include:
- Portions of Kingwood alongside the San Jacinto River
- Forest Cove
- North Shore
- Belleau Wood
- River Crest
- King's Point
- Atascocita Shores
- Rio Villa
A number of school districts announced closures May 3 due to the weather, including Humble ISD.
Residents in flood-prone areas are requested to take caution the rest of the day, and monitor rainfall and flooding outlooks.
