Noon update:
The severe thunderstorm watch expired at noon. A flash flood watch remains in effect for our area until 6 p.m.
The severe weather anticipated to hit Houston did not materialize this morning. Emergency officials continue to be optimistic the region will not see widespread flooding.
But they know from experience that things can change—and they're asking residents to remain vigilant.
“People need to watch the forecast, before you go either to lunch or on their afternoon commute,” said Francisco Sanchez, spokesman with the Harris County Office of Emergency Management. “Check the forecast, see if there are any changes, check traffic conditions and just be very aware before you venture out today.”
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until noon.
Update at 8:00 a.m.
Houston TranStar, home-base to the Emergency Operations Center, is fully staffed right now in anticipation of severe weather. At 12:00 p.m., they are standing down emergency operations, but staff will continue monitoring conditions throughout the day and overnight.
Update from 7:00 a.m.
The radar continues to show rain moving into the Houston region. A flash flood watch remains in effect for our area until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Harris County spokesperson Francisco Sanchez says the Harris County Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor the potential severe weather.
“We got lucky overnight in terms that the system really stayed out of this area,” He says. “The forecast still shows for a decent amount of rainfall today. If we can get that to hold past the morning drive time then I think we should be in for a relatively smooth day compared to what the forecast said it was going to be.”
There are still some concerns during the morning commute.
“It is still wet out there, the roads are slick, and we are seeing some participation. For Houston any amount of time, you know that’s still going to be a little tricky drive, people driving on wet roads. So still give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going, plenty of braking distance,” Sanchez says. “Just be aware that even though the weather might not be hazardous on the drive time, it could still be a delayed commute.”
What does Emergency Operations do at Houston TranStar on a day like today?
“We’ve got under one roof, fire, law enforcement, weather partners, transportation, other public safety organizations, we continue to watch the forecast. If we see a high water location, we can dispatch resources there to get that cut off pretty quickly,” Sanchez says. “Even today, when we have just some messy weather and some slick roads, we can have some accidents out there. Between our transportation with emergency managers upstairs, we can get those identified and get those cleared out and keep people moving to where they need to be.”
What were Emergency Operations’ concerns?
“For us, we got to skip the worse case scenario,” Sanchez says.”The worse case scenario for us was heavy rainfall in the dark, before the sun came up and people really not being aware that there were high water locations. Luckily, that didn’t happen. Now our big concern is if we get the weather to hold off until the drive time passes, it will make a safer day for everyone.
From 6:30 a.m.:
Houston TranStar, home-base to the Emergency Operations Center, is fully staffed right now in anticipation of severe weather.
The radar continues to show rain moving into the Houston region. Some parts of Greater Houston may experience localized flooding throughout today. A flash flood watch remains in effect for our area until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Local universities and schools are taking place as scheduled at this time.
The rain has been scattered so far, so local officials don’t know where the trouble spots during the morning commute are going to be.
For more information:
Forecasts: National Weather Service
Local Traffic: Houston TranStar
Preparedness & Emergency Information: www.readyharris.org
