Stormy week could lead to flash flooding, then river flooding in portions of Southeast Texas

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The immediate risk during these rainy days is street and potential flash flooding. A Flood Watch is in effect for portions of southeast Texas through 4 p.m. Thursday.

Once all this heavy rain falls, the floodwaters have to go somewhere - and that's through area bayous, rivers, and creeks. Sometimes, too much rain over the course of a few days to weeks can lead to rising water levels, thus going out of their banks. That is a growing concern heading into the weekend in parts of southeast Texas.

This is something we saw back in May, when after rounds of heavy rains, rivers swelled, leading to road closures and area flooding along the Trinity and San Jacinto rivers, to name a few. Unfortunately, that's a possibility again later this week. The Five Day River Flood Outlook puts much of southeast Texas at a low risk for river flooding, with a higher likelihood here near the San Jacinto. This includes towns like New Caney and Cleveland.

For example, the East Fork of the San Jacinto River is forecast to crest in a moderate flood stage over the weekend at 65 feet. This is not as high as the crests back in May that led to widespread flooding in the area, but the crest in moderate flood stage will be enough for area flooding along the river and potentially closing FM 1485. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the San Jacinto River at U.S. 59 rose out of its banks according to the Harris County Flood Control District website.

We know things can change depending on where heavy rains fall over the next few days. As Dan Reilly from the National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston points out, more of us might have to be on guard for area flooding along waterways after Beryl.

"We haven't talked about the drainage systems. Some of them are clogged and compromised post-Beryl, and a lot of debris sometimes clogs up the drainage systems that there are out there. That's another factor that plays into the vulnerability for flash flooding," Reilly said.

Other area creeks, bayous, and rivers to watch are the Caney Creek in Montgomery County, Menard Creek in Liberty County, and Tres Palacios River in Matagorda County. And, of course, the San Jacinto River from Montgomery to Harris counties, including both the east and west forks.

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