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Drought-Ending Floods in Houston Region, Meanwhile Most of the Rest of Texas Still in Drought

(Lomi Kriel, Houston Chronicle)
After days of rain and more on its way, Houstonians on Thursday began feeling – could it be – just a little fed up.

A year ago, during the hottest, driest summer Texans have seen yet, such sentiments would have been deemed heretical. But after five wet days – with their snarled morning commutes and power outages, even flooded homes around overflowing Cypress Creek – some began lamenting they’ve had enough.

At Anderson Remodeling in Tomball, where the creek flooded the parking lot, 38-year-old Melissa Maury said, “I think we’re going to be tired of the rain for a bit.”

Added Tyler Horne at Urban Harvest, which runs farmers’ markets throughout Houston: “We were hoping and praying for rain last year, and now we’re getting more than we need.”

So far this year, nearly 31 inches of rain have been recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport, compared with a little more than 9 inches the same time last year. This week alone, some areas of northwest Harris County saw as much as 14 inches of rain and more is expected, with a flash flood watch in place until at least 1 p.m. Friday.

The rains flooded Cypress Creek, which snakes throughout the area, to a level not seen since 2001’s Tropical Storm Allison and damaging between 50-100 nearby homes, according to the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. Agency spokesman Francisco Sanchez said it’s a “significant amount of rainfall for already saturated ground.”
(Read the full story at Houston Chronicle)

RELATED COVERAGE:
Women Cling To Trees in Rushing Floodwaters (KPRC 2 News)
Children Rescued From Day Care Near The Woodlands (KHOU 11 News)
Keeping a Close Eye on Rising Bayous (KTRK 13 News)
Houston In The Clear On Drought Map (KUHF Public Radio)

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