Flash flood watches are affecting nearly 11 million people along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana as Beta, now downgraded to a tropical depression, moves slowly inland, dumping more rain on an already saturated region.
Beta moved inland from the Gulf of Mexico producing heavy pockets of rain over parts of Houston. The storm has already dropped up to a foot of rain in some areas and more is on the way Tuesday.
The storm was producing 35 mph winds Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center, and was centered around 15 miles from Victoria, Texas.
Beta’s slow speed is not producing widespread rain, but pockets of heavy rainfall — which are leading to flash flood conditions as it stalls over Texas. Its not expected to move out of the area until Wednesday night.
Early Tuesday, a group of volunteers in Houston used kayaks to rescue those stranded from the flooding, CNN affiliate KPRC informó.
A man is pulled to safety in a kayak after being rescued from his vehicle that had stalled in floodwaters caused by Tropical Storm Beta in Houston on Sept. 21, 2020.
In Jamaica Beach, Texas, Ann Williams was driving to check her rental property, when she was met by severely flooded streets due to Tropical Storm Beta’s storm surge.
“We have seen the water high before with storms, but not like this,” le dijo a CNN. “So it was a little scary driving down the street to get to the house.”
Storm surge from Beta floods streets in In Jamaica Beach, Texas.
The water levels were also high at her rental home, rising over the docks in the back of her property. Williams says the water levels have somewhat receded now and believes the worst is over.
A family in southwest Houston near Keegans Bayou was seen leaving a nearby restaurant, wading through the water to higher ground after a waiter had warned them that the flood waters were rising, de acuerdo a CNN affiliate KTRK.
Many businesses closed, sending employees whose cars were unreachable to ask loved ones to come pick them up.
The storm is expected to pick up speed and should be out of Texas Wednesday night and into Louisiana and then Mississippi through Friday.
