- Remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda are dumping torrential rain on southeast Texas, plunging some areas under as much as 43 inches of water, the Houston National Weather Service said Thursday.
- The highest storm total rainfall, in Jefferson County, Texas, makes Imelda the seventh wettest tropical cyclone in US history.
- Photos and videos of the flooding in Houston are inundating social media, showing submerged cars and people with water up to their waists.
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Southeast Texas is being hit by torrential rain from Tropical Depression Imelda on Thursday, plunging some areas under as much as 43 inches of water.
The National Weather Service in Houston preliminary reported that the highest storm total rainfall so far is 43.15 inches in Jefferson County, Texas, which makes Imelda the seventh wettest tropical cyclone in US history. It is the fourth wettest tropical cyclone to hit the state of Texas.
The severity of the flash floods are reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which was the last time a named storm hit the Houston area. Some homes that weren't flooded by Harvey's rains are being impacted by Imelda, a Jefferson County judge told the Associated Press.
A LOOK AROUND AT TROUBLE SPOTS: images of flooding near I-10 and Houston Avenue pic.twitter.com/uTkY6NMru8
— KPRC2Jonathan (@KPRC2Jonathan) September 19, 2019
Hundreds of people are being rescued
Beaumont Police told CNN that they are responding to hundreds of calls for rescues, as people are left either stranded in their homes or on top of cars. Police are asking people not to drive at all as most streets are flooded.
Houston,Tx 📍
— MARCO 🇲🇽 (@marco_c11) September 19, 2019
I-45 & SH-249 pic.twitter.com/v6WSoOKkvW
Our team is out rescuing people in need. Please be safe, never drive into a flooded roadway. #HouNews #HouWX #Imelda pic.twitter.com/do6gk5EeG3
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) September 19, 2019
Read more: A tropical storm is striking Texas with flash floods 'worse than Harvey' rising up to 35 inches
Photos and videos of the flooding in Houston are inundating social media, showing submerged cars and people with water up to their waists. Sheriff's deputies said they'd already rescued 350 people in the city by Thursday evening, and expected to make more overnight.
THIS IS HOUSTON: A man was seen helping an elderly man walk through flood waters on Bissonnet. Here are high water locations reported on Houston-area roads. Be safe! https://t.co/eUT9ry2pjH pic.twitter.com/itxE2VTxtr
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 19, 2019
Powerful images: Texas Game Wardens from Beaumont to Conroe are currently participating in over 300 water-related rescues. These photos were provided by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife @TPWDnews #kprc2 #houNews #HouWX #Weather #Houston #Imelda #Flooding pic.twitter.com/WXnOkfHcfP
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) September 19, 2019
ABC13 Houston tweeted a photo of floodwaters making their way into a dollar store.
FLOODED DOLLAR STORE: @ABC13Miya received this picture of flooded aisles at the Giant Dollar store on I-45 and W Mt Houston. #houstonflood #imelda pic.twitter.com/ZK8bQwVi0p
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 19, 2019
Tropical Depression Imelda was downgraded from a tropical storm after it made landfall on Tuesday near Freeport, Texas. The scale that determines whether an event is a tropical storm or a hurricane is merely based on wind, not rain.
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