The National Weather Service shows flood warnings still activated in most of Fort Bend County with a small central pocket under a flash flood watch.
The county remains activated at a Level 2 stage of readiness. County officials have spent the last 24 hours at the Emergency Management Center keeping track of the rain event and checking river levels, Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Flathouse said.
Over the next 48 hours county officials will remain in contact with all jurisdictions, Flathouse said.
Minor flooding occurred in some areas the night of May 9, and county and local officials are reporting minimal damage, so far, Fort Bend County Judge KP George said. All major roads remain open, George said.
For residents in need of debris removal, no debris will be picked up until May 20, Fort Bend County Road Commissioner Mark Grant said. Debris will only be removed from properties affected during the flood events, and no gated communities or private streets will be accessed, Grant said.
The county received 2-5 inches of water overnight, and conditions are manageable. The Brazos River rose about one foot and will likely remain elevated into next week, Mark Vogler, chief engineer and general manager of the drainage district said.
County officials are continuing to monitor the situation.
Posted at 4 p.m. May 9
Portions of Fort Bend County received more than 12 inches of rain during the weather event that swept through the area Tuesday, May 7.“What we saw two nights ago when the city of Sugar Land was impacted along with the other jurisdictions of Fort Bend County was not normal,” Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Flathouse said. “We had subdivisions that were impacted that during [Hurricane] Harvey were not.”
Periods of heavy rain are expected later in the afternoon May 9 through Saturday, May 11, Fort Bend County Judge KP George said during a press conference May 9. The office of emergency management within the county is now operating at a Level 2—an increase from operating at a Level 3 during Tuesday’s rain event.
“We are hoping for the best,” George said. “Last night we were expecting a storm but it didn’t come this way. Thank God for that. We are hoping things will work out in our favor, but be cautious.”
The National Weather service predicts 4-8 inches of rain with some isolated pockets that could receive 9-12 inches depending on where the rain bands land.
“The ground is already saturated and we are concerned along those lines,” Flathouse said.
Since Hurricane Harvey, the Brazos River has changed, Flathouse said.
The Brazos River gauge in Richmond indicates a minor flood stage while the gauge in Rosharon shows a moderate flood stage, and several residents throughout the county have taken on water in their homes, county officials said.
“This was a flash flood event—this was not Harvey,” Flathouse said. “Harvey was a four-day event that [produced] a mass amount of water … What we learned is how to work with sheltering; we learned how to work with residents and get the message out.”
For those who have flooded, visit the office of emergency management’s website at www.fbcoem.org or www.fortbendrecovers.org.
The county will continue monitoring the rain situation in the coming days. Residents can text FBCALERT to 888777 to receive emergency text alerts.
