Tropical Depression Imelda dumped more than 14 inches of rainfall in portions of Harris County in less than 24 hours Sept. 19-20, according to rain gauge data from the
Harris County Flood Warning System.
While the Spring and Klein area did not receive as much precipitation, the eastern portion of the region saw as much as 10 inches in 24 hours from 6 a.m. Sept. 19-6 a.m. Sept. 20. The most rainfall in the area was seen at the gauge at Cypress Creek and Cypresswood Drive, which saw precipitation peak at 5.08 inches in one hour from 9-10 a.m. Sept. 19.
According to FWS data, the stream elevation at the gauge reached as high as 67.98 feet, which is less than a foot below what the Harris County Flood Control District considers to be the elevation for a 10-year flood, or a flood that has a 10% chance to occur in a given year.
The stream elevation at Cypress Creek and Cypresswood Drive reached as high as 80.5 feet during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
Meanwhile, gauges at I-45 and Spring Creek, I-45 and Cypress Creek and Inverness Forest Boulevard at Cypress Creek all saw at least 5 inches of rainfall during that time, according to FWS data. Every gauge along Cypress Creek from Hwy. 249 to Cypresswood Drive received at least 2.96 inches of rain, while none of the gauges west of I-45 at Willow Creek or Spring Creek saw more than 2.76 inches.
In the map below, see how much precipitation Harris County gauges measured throughout the Spring and Klein area during Imelda.
Follow all of our Houston-area flooding coverage.