HOUSTON – Several inches of rain fell over the Houston area Friday, flooding low-lying roads and roads with poor drainage. The rain also caused extensive ponding on highways and streets areawide.
At Cullen Park, a man and woman had to be rescued from a park bathroom after the high water rose too high. And a postal worker in a mail truck was stranded in high water on a road near the park until a co-worker helped her back to safety.
At the Bayou on the Bend apartments on Memorial Drive it was hard to tell where the lush landscaped yard ended and Buffalo Bayou began.
A deck and several benches and patio sets were underwater, but residents took it all in stride.
"It's is a little over the borders, but we're 40 feet high; we're not afraid," said resident Henriette DeHer.
The Harris County Flood Control District says the area north and south of I-10 and west of South Highway 6 has received 5 - 6.5 inches of rain since the early morning hours.
Creeks affected in that area include:
- South Mayde Creek at Greenhouse Road, north of I-10, reported a rainfall rate of 6.3 inches
- Bear Creek at Clay Road and Barker Cypress Road, north of I-10, reported a rainfall rate of 5.4 inches
- Mason Creek between south Fry Road and Westgreen Boulevard, south of I-10, reported a rainfall rate of 5.3 inches
There are no reports of house flooding at this time, according to HCFCD.
The Harris County Office of Emergency Management says all freeways are clear of any significant high-water locations. There may be some low-lying streets in the west Harris County area near S. Mayde Creek that are still flooded, but the OEM expects the roads to clear by Friday night.
Low-lying roads and roadways with poor drainage will be hardest hit by flooding. Do not drive through water-covered roadways, as the water could be much deeper than it looks. The numerous bayous throughout Houston are particularly dangerous places.
All of the water collecting on the ground will eventually pass through the system of bayous, raising water levels and causing very rapid flow as the water makes its way to the bay and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico.
After multiple rounds of flooding rain during the week, scattered showers will linger into Friday evening, but a drying trend will take hold in Houston as we head into the weekend.
The scattered showers and isolated storms will linger along an axis of moisture-laden, unstable air that will slowly drift south through Saturday afternoon. In its place will be dryer air that should keep the area rain-free for the majority of the weekend.
Showers could spring up anywhere around Metro Houston Friday night. Saturday morning's rain will be confined to areas south of Houston, and, by Saturday afternoon, the rain will be pushed out of the area entirely.
Under partly cloudy skies, weekend temperatures will range from the low- to mid-70s in the early morning hours to near 90 degrees by mid afternoon.
This week, rainfall accumulations have been extremely impressive, with a range of 6 to almost 10 inches in many locations around Harris County.
Check the interactive radar by clicking here.
Rice at Sage Rd. Photo by: Local 2 photojournalist Cesar Martinez