The heavy rain falling over the Houston area escalated on Friday from a nuisance to a more serious threat, with forecasters at FOX 26 reporting that a flash flood warning had been issued for the city. The meteorologist tracking the storms stressed that a flash flood warning means life-threatening flash flooding could already be occurring, with water likely rising in spots that are known to flood quickly.
The heaviest rain was concentrated in a clear bullseye to the north and east of the city. According to the report, the area around Jacinto City, along with nearby Cypress and Jersey Village, had picked up the most rain, with totals running between three and three and a half inches and approaching four inches over just a few hours.
The city of Houston itself sat a notch lower but was still being soaked, with rainfall closer to the two to three inch range. While the heaviest downpours had pushed out of Cypress, Jersey Village and Aldine, forecasters warned that more heavy rain was moving between downtown Houston and Galena Park and getting close to Pasadena.
To the east of the flash flood warning, a separate flood advisory covered eastern parts of Harris County and southeastern parts of Montgomery County until 3 p.m. That advisory took in Baytown and Atascocita and areas just east of The Woodlands, with heavy rain also seen along Interstate 10 just north of Channelview and stretching up into Liberty County around Dayton and Liberty.
Forecasters explained that the stormy setup was being driven by a combination of factors, including a disturbance in the Gulf that, while not tropical, was feeding tropical moisture and tropical-style downpours into the region. An upper low over West Texas was adding to the mix, helping to wring out heavy rain from Sealy and Rosenberg to Sugar Land.
Reflecting the worsening picture, the Weather Prediction Center increased its threat for flash and street flooding. A level two out of four risk that had earlier been placed west of Houston was pushed all the way through the Houston metro, and was expected to continue through the night for Houston, Katy, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Conroe, Huntsville, College Station, Brenham and Sealy.
The clearest message from FOX 26 was a safety one. The meteorologist urged anyone out and about to turn around and find a different route rather than drive through high water, warning that making the wrong turn across a flooded roadway or railway could prove deadly. As of the broadcast, no major water rescues had been reported, and forecasters said they would keep monitoring the situation closely.