Date: Sat, 28 May 2016 12:28:44 EDT
Summary: An additional 2-5 inches of rain in the last 24 hours in Southeast Texas where intense storms in the previous 24 hours had totals exceeding 10 inches is causing record floods.
Once again, storms formed over areas east of Austin extending south and east into Houston that added 2-5 inches of precipitation yesterday in the lower Colorado, Brazos, and Trinity basins and the San Jacinto basin. This same area had intense rainfall totals from the previous 24 hours, some locations exceeding 10 inches. The runoff from these combined events is causing major flooding in the tributaries and main stem rivers of these basins. Hardest hit are the Brazos and San Jacinto basins. Major flood warnings have been issued for Harris and Fort Bend counties in the Houston area, some neighborhoods are being evacuated, and local reservoirs have been closed.
Four Crews from the Houston office are out today to do discharge measurements at 10 or more sites. As many as 4 sites are expected to hit peak of record flows today and possibly more. Major flooding is expected to continue through the weekend as the high flows move downstream. As of this morning, no gages have been damaged or destroyed.
Throughout the event USGS staff have been in contact with local, state, and federal partners including the National Weather Service, Corps of Engineers, Harris County Flood Control District, and the San Jacinto River Authority.