Reports: Catastrophic flooding inundates Houston as Harvey unleashes over 2 feet of rain
This reports story is no longer live as of 10 a.m. CDT Sunday, Aug. 27. For the latest live reports, visit this story.
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The wrath of Harvey is far from over as the storm continues to pound southeastern Texas with flooding rain and powerful winds.
Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas, on Friday night as a Category 4 storm and will bring catastrophic and life-threatening flooding as it stalls over the region.
The first major hurricane to strike the United States since Wilma in 2005, Harvey has caused widespread power outages, significant flooding, travel disruptions and devastation to cities along the coast.
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8:30 a.m. CDT Sunday: As Sunday morning dawns on southeastern Texas, the devastation from the overnight hours becomes evident. Passable roads are hard to come by and emergency personnel continue to stress that residents fleeing flood waters should move to the roof, not the attic, of their homes.
With days of tireless work ahead of emergency personnel in areas being impacted by Harvey, outside help is being sent into Texas to aid in rescue and clean up efforts.
Hobby Airport recording 7.86 inches of rain on Saturday, with an additional 6.15 inches before 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. The first 9 hours of Sunday have brought 9.86 inches of rain to Houston Intercontinental Airport as well.
The number of residents without power in Harris County has exceeded 70,000.
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7:30 a.m. CDT Sunday: Devastating flooding continues in Houston, where rainfall rates remain above 2 inches per hour. Frequent water rescues are still being performed for those trapped in homes or cars, according to local authorities.
Interstate 45 is now closed in both directions in Dickinson, according to KHOU News. KHOU reporters have since become the next on the list of displaced people in Houston, forced to move to the second flood of the studio.
According to CenterPoing Energy, 66,990 customers are without power at this time in Harris County.
On the southern side of Harvey, Flood Warnings have been canceled for parts of the Rio Grande as the rain tapers off south of Corpus Christi.
However, a Flash Flood Emergency remains in place for much of southeastern Texas, as well as a Tornado Watch for the same area in addition to southwestern Louisiana, through at least 1:00 p.m. CDT today.
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5:30 a.m. CDT Sunday: The National Weather Service reported that 5 fatalities have occurred in southeast Texas in a flash flood emergency issued at 4:39 a.m. CDT.
"Over 1000 high water rescues have been performed and in some places emergency crews cannot reach the worst hit areas," the NWS said.
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4:30 a.m. CDT Sunday: Voluntary and mandatory evacuations are in place in parts of Bastrop County, Texas, due to flooding.
In Dickinson, Texas, water was rising to the second floor of homes, local law enforcement reported.
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3:50 a.m. CDT Sunday: Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo warned residents to not head to their attic to escape flooding unless they have a means of breaking through the roof.
The rain gauge at Clear Creek at Interstate 45 has recorded 22.72 inches of rain in the past 24 hours.
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3:40 a.m. CDT Sunday: Flooding has forced the closure of Hobby Airport in Houston. Over 8.50 inches of rain has fallen at the airport since early Saturday morning.
There is an unconfirmed report that a woman and child were found deceased in a submerged vehicle along Interstate 10 in Lathrop, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Several tornadoes warnings remain in effect to the west and east of downtown Houston, including one for the city of Katy until 4:00 a.m. CDT.
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2:40 a.m. CDT Sunday: Rainfall totals are quickly adding up around the Houston area. As much as 15 to 20 inches of rain has fallen on the southeast side of the city.
Twenty-four hour rainfall totals around Houston ending at 2:39 a.m. CDT Sunday. (Image/Harris County Flood Warning System)
In La Porte, water has entered at least 40 homes as well as a nursing home, according to emergency management. Flood waters are ankle to thigh deep.
Flooding from Harvey in the Meyerland neighborhood of Houston, early Sunday morning. (Twitter/@Vicncoffee)
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2:00 a.m. CDT Sunday: A dangerous flooding situation continues to unfold in and around Houston with well over a foot of rain falling in many areas. The bands of heavy rain will not only carry a major flood risk, but also bring the threat for isolated tornadoes through Sunday morning.
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1:45 a.m. CDT Sunday: Over 140 roads are impassable in the city of Houston due to high water, according to Houston Transtar.
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1:10 a.m. CDT Sunday: The water level of Turtle Creek in Houston has reached 29.73 feet and continues to climb, according to the Harris County Flood Warning System. During the historic flooding from Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, the water level on the creek rose to 29.48 feet.
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12:45 a.m. CDT Sunday: Multiple water rescues are occurring northeast of San Antonio in Caldwell and Bastrop counties. Austin, Texas, has picked up over 7 inches of rain since 2 a.m. CDT Saturday.
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12:00 a.m. CDT Sunday: One woman died from flooding in Houston on Saturday night, according to the Associated Press. The woman's car was stuck in high water when she got out of the vehicle and was later found dead about 30 yards away.
This is the second confirmed death due to Harvey.
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11:00 p.m. CDT Saturday: Significant, life-threatening flooding is unfolding over the Houston metro area. A band of very heavy rainfall is unleashing rainfall rates over 6 inches per hour in some places.
A trained spotter in Pearland, Texas, reported 9.92 inches of rain in 90 minutes from this stationary band of rain.
"Please get off roadways now," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted Saturday night. "This large band is causing roadways to flood and folks are being stranded in it. Don't try to outwit nature."
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9:30 p.m. CDT Saturday: A flash flood emergency has been issued in Houston as a band of heavy rain has set up over the city. This band of rain is also effecting areas just south and west of the city.
Radar-estimated rainfall rates exceed four inches an hour in this area, resulting in a significant risk of flooding. Meyerland, Texas, received 3.97 inches between 8:17 and 9:17 p.m. CDT.
This band of rain is very slow moving and may sit over the same areas into Saturday night, extending the risk of flash flooding. People in this area should be ready to move to higher ground as water levels rise.
Water rescues were being conducted just west of the city, according to emergency managers, with more likely over the next several hours.
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