Flood advisory issued for western Harris County as heavy rain falls

The National Weather Service warned drivers in western Harris County to stay off flooded roads Tuesday afternoon as thunderstorms dumped 1 to 3 inches of rain and pushed water into the county’s usual trouble spots.

The flood advisory covered western portions of Harris County and was issued June 3 at 3:10 p.m. CDT. It was set to expire at 4:15 p.m. CDT, with the weather service warning of minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas as more rain moved through the Houston/Galveston forecast area.

The advisory named western Eldridge/West Oaks, southwestern Addicks Park Ten, Katy, Brookshire, Cinco Ranch and Memorial as places that could see the first problems. In practical terms, minor flooding in this part of the county often means ponding on streets, water collecting in underpasses and neighborhood drains backing up first in older subdivisions and low spots built around bays and bayous.

The weather service said Doppler radar showed heavy rain from thunderstorms already falling across the area, and scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected through the afternoon and early evening. The office also posted a marginal risk of excessive rainfall over most of its forecast area, a sign that isolated pockets could see more rain than nearby neighborhoods in a short time.

Officials again urged drivers to avoid flooded roadways and to turn around rather than try to cross water-covered streets. That warning remains especially important in Harris County, where the flood control district says most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

The Harris County Flood Control District, created by the Texas Legislature in 1937, says a major flood occurs somewhere in Harris County about every two years. The district also says everyone lives in a flood zone, a reminder that even routine storms can turn into street-closing events when drainage systems are overwhelmed.

To track rising water, the district operates a real-time Flood Warning System with gage stations across the county that monitor rainfall and bayou levels. The county’s long-running investment in flood protection also includes the $2.5 billion flood damage reduction bond program voters approved on August 25, 2018.

For western Harris County, the immediate concern Tuesday was not a rare disaster but the kind of localized flooding that can snarl the Katy corridor, slow commutes through Memorial and West Oaks, and leave water standing where drainage already struggles to keep up.