Officials in Houston and surrounding communities say so far there have been no severe consequences as Tropical Depression Imelda deluged parts of Southeast Texas with rain.
Glenn LaMont, deputy emergency management coordinator in Brazoria County, south of Houston along the Gulf Coast, said he has seen no reports of flooded homes or people stranded despite heavy rainfall. But he cautioned: "It's too early to breathe a sigh of relief."
By late Thursday afternoon, most of the heaviest showers had moved to the east of Houston, into Beaumont, Texas, and southwestern Louisiana. But the storm's remnants spawned several weak tornadoes in the Baytown area, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Houston, damaging trees, barns and sheds and causing minor damage to some homes and vehicles.
Gabino Hernandez walks down a flooded section of West Nasa Road in Webster, Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Floodwaters from Clear Creek inundated the area from Tropical Depression Imelda. (Stuart VillanuevaThe Galveston County Daily News via AP)
Forecasters said the Houston area could still face some heavy rainfall on Thursday.
Parts of East Texas could get up to 10 inches (254 millimeters) of rain through Thursday morning as the remnants of Imelda continue moving north and away from Houston, according to the National Weather Service.
Coastal counties, including Brazoria, Matagorda and Galveston, got the most rainfall since Imelda formed on Tuesday. Some parts of the Houston area had received nearly 8 inches (203 millimeters) of rain, while the city of Galveston, which had street flooding, had received nearly 9 inches (229 millimeters), according to preliminary rainfall totals released Wednesday afternoon by the National Weather Service.
Angel Marshman carries a gas can as he walks through floodwaters from Tropical Depression Imelda to get to his flooded car, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Galveston, Texas. (AP PhotoDavid J. Phillip)
Sargent, a town of about 2,700 residents in Matagorda County, had received nearly 20 inches (508 millimeters) of rain since Tuesday.
Karen Romero, who lives with her husband in Sargent, said this was the most rain she has had in her neighborhood in her nine years living there.
"The rain (Tuesday) night was just massive sheets of rain and lightning storms," said Romero, 57.
Felipe Morales works on getting his truck out of a ditch filled with high water during a rain storm stemming from rain bands spawned by Tropical Storm Imelda on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019, in Houston. He was able to get help when a man with a truck helped pull him from the ditch. (Brett CoomerHouston Chronicle via AP)
She said her home, located along a creek, was not in danger of flooding as it sits on stilts, like many others nearby.
In the Houston area, the rainfall flooded some roadways, stranding drivers, and caused several creeks and bayous to rise to high levels.
Many schools in the Houston and Galveston area canceled classes Wednesday. However, the Houston school district, the state's largest, remained open. At least one school district — Galveston — said it was also canceling classes on Thursday.
Susan Molina brings her trash can back to her house on 43rd Street while Tropical Storm Imelda causes rain and street flooding in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Molina's trashcan floated several blocks away from her house. (Kelsey WallingThe Galveston County Daily News via AP)
The National Hurricane Center said Imelda, which made landfall near Freeport, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph), had weakened to a tropical depression and was located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Houston.
But the National Weather Service said flash flood watches remained in effect through Thursday for Southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana.
Imelda is the first named storm to impact the Houston area since Hurricane Harvey, according to the National Weather Service. Harvey dumped nearly 50 inches (130 centimeters) of rain on parts of the flood-prone city in August 2017, flooding more than 150,000 homes in the Houston area and causing an estimated $125 billion in damage in Texas.
The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that Hurricane Humberto in the Atlantic Ocean is posing a stronger threat to Bermuda. The Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph) was about 195 miles (314 kilometers) from Bermuda on Wednesday afternoon.
Tropical Storm Jerry became the 10th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, though it remained far from land Wednesday. Meteorologists also said newly formed Tropical Storm Lorena in the Pacific Ocean could produce heavy rains and flooding in Mexico by Thursday.
Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
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SUPREME COURT-TRUMP-CAPITOL RIOT — AP Explains the latest election subversion case before the Supreme Court: Whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Includes an AP reporter debrief from last week's hearing on whether federal prosecutors went too far in bringing obstruction charges against hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Newsroom Ready and Consumer Ready edits sent on April 16.
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ELECTION 2024-PENNSYLVANIA-HALEY — When Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign, she refused to endorse Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination — and so did some of her supporters in Pennsylvania. SENT: 480 words, photo.
BIDEN-FUNDRAISER — President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend a campaign fundraiser in Irvington, New York, on Thursday night. Hosts include Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. AP does not expect this event to be open to the media, but it will be traveling with the president and it will provide video edits and Live coverage if there is breaking news.
ELECTION 2024-DECISION NOTES-PUERTO RICO — Puerto Rico will hold a Democratic presidential primary Sunday, the only opportunity for Democrats on the island to officially weigh in on the race for the White House. Sent April 24: 970 words, photos.
SUPREME COURT-TRUMP-CAPITOL RIOT — Supreme Court justices seem to agree on a basic truth about the American system of government: No one is above the law, not even the president. But former President Donald Trump and his legal team are putting that truth to the test when the high court takes up Trump’s bid to avoid prosecution over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. SENT: 780 words, photo. UPCOMING: 1,100 words after 10 a.m. arguments. With TRUMP-CAPITOL RIOT-LISTENERS’ GUIDE — What to listen for during Supreme Court arguments on Trump and presidential immunity. Sent April 24.
TRUMP-HUSH MONEY — A judge is weighing whether to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court for what prosecutors say have been repeated violations of the gag order in his hush money criminal trial. Jurors are also expected to hear more testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, about the tabloid’s involvement in a scheme to benefit Trump. SENT: 650 words, photos. UPCOMING: 990 words after trial resumes at 9:30 a.m.
BIDEN — President Biden heads to upstate New York to tout his administration’s efforts to promote computer chip manufacturing in the U.S. SENT: 760 words, photos. UPCOMING: Speech at 2 p.m. Video edits and Live planned.
FAKE ELECTORS-INDICTMENT-ARIZONA — An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump ’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others for their efforts to use so-called fake electors to try to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, audio. With ELECTION 2020-MICHIGAN-FAKE ELECTORS — Investigator said Trump, allies were uncharged co-conspirators in plot to overturn Michigan election.
ELECTION 2024-BIDEN-TIKTOK — President Joe Biden’s signing of legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. runs counter to his campaign’s embrace of the platform and outreach to influencers. The president is also facing criticism from some avid users of the app. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
ELECTION-2024-BIDEN-UNION — President Joe Biden picked up the endorsement of North America’s Building Trades Unions where the president and his allies set out to dismantle Republican Donald Trump’s reputation as a successful real estate developer. SENT: 380 words, photos, audio.
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President Joe Biden speaks before signing a $95 billion Ukraine aid package that also includes support for Israel, Taiwan, and other allies, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
