Evacuation orders lifted for Houston area after flooding

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Monday lifted a mandatory evacuation order for the East Fork of the San Jacinto River after days of rain caused flooding near Hurricane Harvey levels.

“Today is good news,” said Hidalgo, who added that no other major rain threats were expected. “We’re out of the woods.”

The county is moving from response mode to recovery mode, she added.

Most people should be able to return home without problem. Hidalgo, however, warned that some areas near the West Fork of the San Jacinto River and Bala Woods, North Shore and Forest Cove could continue to experience high water levels, but said the river was receding faster than expected . Most roads were clear in Kingwood, she said, although she nonetheless urged people not to drive through standing water because it can hide debris.

“We can absolutely see the light at the end of the tunnel and we have survived the worst of this weather event,” she said.

Nearly 235 people and 185 pets were rescued by local first responders, Hidalgo said, and no major injuries or deaths were reported in Harris County.

Other parts of the state haven’t been so lucky. Gov. Greg Abbott said during a news conference Monday afternoon that at least three people died, including a Johnson County child who was swept away by floodwaters.

Officials are still assessing the extent of flood damage and working with state and federal partners to secure more resources. At least 91 counties were affected by the severe weather and four of them were under a disaster declaration.

Parts of Montgomery County, including Conroe, were hit hard, prompting voluntary evacuations in some areas. Residents began returning to their homes on Monday.

In total, more than 500 people were rescued and at least 800 reports of damage were received, the governor said. That number is expected to increase as people return home and begin to assess their structures, Abbott said.

Since last Wednesday, more than 13 inches of rain have fallen in the area around the San Jacinto River, including nearly 9 inches in The Woodlands, according to data from the Harris County Flood Warning System. The Tomball area saw more than 10 inches, while areas closer to the city of Houston only saw about 2 to 3 inches.

Hidalgo said the damage may be too limited to get grants, but she will travel to Washington Tuesday night to ask federal officials to speed up funding for business buyouts for those affected by the flooding.

She also said she would push for Small Business Administration loans that would provide some relief to flood victims.

Heavy rains caused school closures and flash flooding in north Houston and outlying areas. At one point, nearly 82,000 customers were without power, according to an outage map from CenterPoint Energy.

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