Storms drench Houston area for second straight day
HOUSTON -- Strong thunderstorms moved through southeast Texas, flooding streets as they moved towards the coast.
In Galveston, torrential rain came down on the area. ABC13's Erik Barajas captured the swirling winds as severe weather moved through.
WATER RESCUES IN CONROE
Rescue crews in Conroe worked for hours to get to a family that was trapped in their home on Ehlers Drive. For Caney Creek Fire Department, it was one of about a dozen water rescues of the day. Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams tells abc13 there were more than 200 water rescues across Montgomery County Friday.
Earlier Friday, Mark Moore took us through his Conroe home, showing us the tree that sits in his living room and the gaping hole it left in his bedroom ceiling.
It came crashing through his roof on Thursday night, after severe weather hit the area.
"I heard a loud thud. Everything was calm and then it just, boom," said Moore.
The tree landed just feet from the bed he was sitting on at the time. The tree also took down the awning of his back porch, a place where his four grandchildren had been playing 15 minutes before.
"Thank God we got them off the back porch. Thank God," said Moore.
Just a few miles away, another Conroe neighborhood, Canyon Creek, was hit.
Becky Windham lives there. She says a 105-year-old tree crashed through her kitchen, knocking out the ceiling. The insulation is scattered across the floor and countertops.
The casserole she was baking at the time still sits in the oven.
"The water pipe from the attic broke and I was ankle deep in water in there from that and the rain," said Windham.
The good news is no one was seriously hurt in the storms.
LIGHTNING DELAYS GRADUATION CEREMONY
After 12 long years, Crosby High School graduates had to wait a few hours longer to finally graduate on Friday evening after severe weather delayed their graduation by several hours. The ceremony, which was originally scheduled to get underway at 7pm, began just after 9:30pm when heavy rains and lightning storms finally let up.
WATCHING THE WATER IN FT. BEND COUNTY
Crews from Fort Bend County and the city of Simonton are hoping preventative measures will keep the small town from flooding. A voluntary evacuation is in effect for residents. Officials are placing large pumps in neighborhoods where they know flooding is a problem. Throughout Friday night, their biggest concern isn't water falling from the sky. Rather, it's all the rainfall that occurred further north on Thursday. The Brazos River is already high, and Fort Bend County officials worry that it will swell and leady to flooding over the next few days. For homeowners who remember the devastating Memorial Day floods of last year, they are relieved to see pumps in place, but they are getting tired of the flooding.
"We had them last year this time," said Joel Sprague, who lives near the Brazos River. "Now we got them this weekend, we had them a month ago when we had that big flood, the 12 inch rain. (The pumps) worked fine down there. Except my property flooded."
RESTAURANT WORKERS COME TO WOMAN'S RESCUE
MONTGOMERY COUNTY SUBDIVISION FLOODS AGAIN
There's a countywide disaster declaration in Montgomery county this afternoon. Periods of heavy rain brought the water up again. In the Timberlakes timber Ridge subdivision dozens of homes are flooded for the second time in two days. It's the third time in six weeks. Many of these flood victims were eligible for FEMA aid from the April flood. There's no guarantee they'll get aid again. Even if the rain stops, it may not be over for them. Spring Creek at the back of this neighborhood won't crest until tomorrow.
LOOSE CATTLE SHUT DOWN HIGHWAY 290
Highway 290 was shut down for hours Friday morning by cattle that apparently got loose during the floods. While 100 were found and are now on higher ground, around 600 are still missing. The cattle got loose from a Brenham man, who raises them. There is a line of trailers waiting for when they're found.
HIGH WATER
We're keeping a list of high water locations around southeast Texas. Check current list of roads affected by flooding.
