Flash Floods Expected In Southeast Harris County As Greater Houston Prepares For Hurricane Nicholas

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Updated 10:24 p.m. CDT Monday

City and county officials asked Houston-area residents to hunker down Monday night, warning of likely flash floods in Southeast Harris County as Tropical Storm Nicholas was upgraded to a hurricane.

Forecasts into the evening suggested the worst of the rainfall and flooding caused by Nicholas will be concentrated further south near the coast, with less risk for flash flooding north of Interstate 10 in Houston.

But Nicholas still has the potential to bring dangerous conditions to the county, particularly in the southeast, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

The county judge recommended making a plan to stay indoors from 7 p.m. Monday night through Tuesday.

“Go home and stay there,” Hidalgo said. “Please do that for your safety and for the safety of our first responders.”

At a 9 p.m. briefing, Hidalgo said the storm had moved towards the coast, allowing forecasters to decrease the amount of expected rainfall for the region. The storm was expected to make landfall just east of Matagorda Bay overnight.

Hidalgo added that the intensity of the wind would likely be worse than initially anticipated. Winds in Matagorda gusted to about 80 mph, according to forecasters.

Forecasters also predicted winds gusting at 35 to 50 mph throughout the Houston area. Hidalgo warned of possible damage caused by the increased wind speed, such as fallen tree limbs and power line failures.

Intense winds were expected on Galveston Island, with possible tropical force winds of 40 to 50 mph by midnight, with a potential 2 to 5 feet of storm surge along the Gulf.

The rain is expected to be pushed out of the area by Tuesday afternoon.

All Harris County offices and courts will remain closed through Tuesday, including all COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, Hidalgo said.

The county judge added that she had been in contact with Gov. Greg Abbott over the last day, as well with local law enforcement, the Red Cross and local hospital systems. The county has reached out directly to people on the state’s emergency assistance list, Hidalgo said.

Abbott issued a disaster declaration Monday afternoon for what was then Tropical Storm Nicholas, telling Texans that Nicholas would likely remain a tropical storm. That changed around 10 p.m. Monday, when the National Weather Service updated it to a Category 1 hurricane.

Abbott asked the 17 counties affected by the storm to pay close attention to updates from local officials.

The governor also announced that Texas Task Force One — a FEMA search and rescue team — has deployed at least six swiftwater boat squads, two water group supervisors and four helicopter squads in order to assist with any rescue and relief operations.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said that while the worst is likely to come overnight, Houstonians should nonetheless avoid areas prone to flooding come late afternoon, and recommended remaining indoors.

“From my vantage point, you know, I want to do everything I can to get people off the roads by sundown,” Turner said during a Monday morning briefing. “It will make this easier on everybody. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Harris County meteorologist Jeff Lindner made that same recommendation on Twitter Monday afternoon.

Persons in the flash flood watch area need to be at their location by 6pm tonight where they will be for the duration of this event. Bayou and creek flooding will be possible tonight and some structures may flood #houwx #txwx

— Jeff Lindner (@JeffLindner1) September 13, 2021

Houston Prepares

The Houston area — along with the rest of Southeast Texas — began preparing early Monday morning, according to Turner. The city decreased Lake Houston’s water level to minimize the potential of flooding, lowering the lake by more than 41 feet.

Tuner added that the city also deployed at least 43 barricades throughout the city, and urged residents to stay off the roads.

The city’s emergency services planned on using high-water equipment to respond to flooding. Only essential city employees will be called in to work on Tuesday, with non-essential staff working remotely, Turner said.

Fire Chief Samuel Peña warned against carbon monoxide poisoning if power outages occurred throughout the night, and recommended residents use flashlights instead of open-flame candles.

“Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, but it is lethal,” Peña said.

METRO suspended light rail and local bus services Monday evening, which would resume once the roadways are clear of water, according to Turner. Trash pickup was also suspended for Tuesday and will resume on Wednesday. Turner added that the city’s municipal courts would be closed Tuesday and reopen on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the city was preparing to help people with disabilities weather the storm.

Gabe Casares, who leads Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Office of People with Disabilities, said his office will rely on the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry.

“We’ll be using the information that is in the STEAR data to help us make those decisions and help us account for people with disabilities, that may have those access and functional needs, that may need to be evacuated with a hospital chair or power wheel chair,” Casares said.

The Harris Health System closed its outpatient clinics at 3 p.m. Monday in preparation for the storm, and will remain closed through Tuesday. Clinics will resume regularly scheduled appointments at noon on Wednesday.

LBJ and Ben Taub hospitals, as well as the health system’s emergency centers, will remain open.

Red Cross Mobilizes

The Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast region had already begun preparations for the hurricane’s landfall Monday, and was planning to open shelters along the Gulf Coast.

It’s not immediately clear how quickly the storm will pass through the area or how much if any damage it will inflict on the area, though localized flooding is expected across Houston and surrounding areas. That uncertainty makes it difficult to gauge how many shelters will be needed, according to Red Cross regional spokesperson Jennifer Sparks.

“It really will depend on the damage and where that damage actually is,” Sparks said. “So we’re going to be working with state and local officials. We’re going to be very flexible and be present where the need is greatest.”

Open locations will be available on RedCross.org, by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or by downloading the Red Cross app.

Possible Outages

About 2,000 CenterPoint Energy customers in the Houston area were without power as of Monday morning due to inclement weather, according to Turner.

Abbott said the state was ready to assist in Southeast Texas.

“I’ve spoken to the Harris County Judge, as well as county judges up and down the entire Gulf Coast, to make sure that we’re working collaboratively to make sure that at the local level, we will be prepared for whatever the storm may bring in,” he said.

Texas’ grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, reduced planned maintenance outages in areas expected to be hardest hit by the hurricane, and instructed power companies to use emergency procedures in preparation.

In an email, ERCOT insisted that any power outages from the storm are likely to be at the local distribution level, and recommended anyone experiencing outages to contact their electric service providers.

Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County is under a flash flood watch until Wednesday, and the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management activated its emergency operations center Monday morning

County officials say residents should expect a direct impact, with Hurricane Nicholas likely to produce more severe downpours and extended periods of rain in the coming hours.

County Judge KP George encouraged all residents to have a plan in place.

“It is heavy rainfall and flash flood warnings, at this point, that is a concern, because we have a very flat terrain,” he said. “That is an absolute concern for us and emergency managers.”

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office on Monday warned those in low-lying areas to remain vigilant about flooding from the storm.

Sheriff Eric Fagan issued a plea to motorists to avoid driving through water and avoid areas prone to flooding, including FM 1093 and Highway 99, Grand Parkway and Highway 90, and Highway 59 at Williams Parkway.

The sheriff added that extra personnel will be on hand to help vehicles avoid flooded areas.

School Closures

See all school closures on HoustonPublicMedia.org

Houston ISD canceled after-school activities on Monday and announced that all HISD schools — including virtual learning — and offices will be closed on Tuesday.

Tomball ISD, Channelview ISD, Spring Branch ISD, and Stafford MSD will also cancel after-school activities on Monday and be closed on Tuesday.

Clear Creek ISD and La Porte ISD canceled school on Monday and planned to make a decision regarding Tuesday at a later time.

The University of Houston, including UH at Katy and Sugar Land, closed Monday at 3 p.m. and will remain closed through Tuesday. The University of St. Thomas shut its doors at 12:00 p.m. Monday and will remain closed for the remainder of the day.

Many after-school programs and community centers in Houston closed Monday evening and will remain shut at least through Tuesday.

Deloyd Parker, who made the call to close the SHAPE community center in the Third Ward by early Monday afternoon, said his community has dealt with a lot in recent weeks. But, he added, he would reopen the center to shelter people if things get worse in his neighborhood.

“The flood, the rain, the influx of brothers and sisters we have coming from Louisiana who need help,” Parker said. “I mean we’re dealing with so many issues right now, we just have to keep our sanity, be rational and be helpful to one another.”