Thunderstorms in Houston area leaves students stranded in schools amid flooding and power outages
There are no signs of the rain letting up and Kingwood area and the surroundings have been inundated by the wet spell. With the flood waters rising amid a swath of rainstorms, homes have been flooded as stranded motorists and school children in campuses bear the brunt of the inclement weather in the Houston area from Sugar Land to Kingwood, according to officials. In Kingwood, Chief Art Acevedo has even issued a warning to drivers to stay off the roads as high-water rescue crews were dispatched to the area.
As per reports, residents have been also evacuated from flooded homes in the 5500 and 5600 blocks of Village Springs Drive, along with a few young children, who were rescued from a preschool that began filling with water. As the sun set Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of southern Harris County.
Thousands of students have been left stuck in schools in three different counties after the rising water kept them from getting back to their homes safely on May 7. Around 800 students at the Southside Elementary School who couldn't get home in Cleveland were fed snacks in the school by officials who are working non-stop to reunite the students with their parents.
ABC 13 reported that school officials have announced there are students who are stranded at Eastside Elementary. People trapped inside the building of New Caney High School have been reporting at least several inches of water that is inside hallways and classrooms.
Students could still be seen on May 7 evening at that particular campus as well as inside Porter High School. The district has said that all 1,850 students at the various campuses are safe and that there is no major flooding at either campus. School officials in Humble have said that there are still a number of students in five area campuses who were being served meals after they were not able to get back to their homes on Tuesday afternoon.
A vast number of students still remain at Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood Middle School, Woodland Hills Elementary School, Foster Elementary School, Elm Grove Elementary School. Humble ISD released a statement to ABC13 that read: 'There are several other campuses in Humble ISD with a smaller number of students remaining. All are being cared for and served food.'
Students are being released to their parents as and when the adults are able to make it to the schools. Children in a daycare in Kingwood have been moved upstairs as a precautionary measure after some water seeped inside. The director of Kids in Action Daycare told KHOU: "It never got above their toes." She also said that the rumors of waist-deep water are not true and that the children are safe. She added: "They are all fine, all upstairs eating snacks and watching movies."
As of now, residents in southwest Houston, from Meyerland to Westbury to NRG Park and areas around Brays Bayou have been urged to monitor flood conditions. As the storms tracked east, residents from Pearland to Baytown were even placed under a flash flood warning, while reports suggest Harris County was already under a flash flood watch until 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Because of the flooded roadways, the Houston Fire Department has set up a water rescue command center along Kingwood Parkway to coordinate efforts to help anybody trapped in flooded roadways. Moreover, severe storms are expected to sweep through Houston in the coming days.
The Houston Police Department is reporting that Kingwood Drive between Loop 494 and Chestnut Ridge is completely underwater. As per reports, most of the Centerpoint outages focused on an area in southwest Harris County and northwest Fort Bend County.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say their primary concern is locally heavy rainfall, which could contribute to street and river flooding. A secondary concern is damaging winds and hail associated with the storm system. The rivers and streams that are expected to be flooded are Brazos River, Trinity River and Lake Creek.
Houston rapper and philanthropist Trae tha Truth and his team, Relief Gang, have been helping people across the Houston area who are stuck in high water. In an Instagram video posted on his account, the rapper pledged his support towards the flood victims as he captioned the post: "PSA Any areas in Houston or Outskirts, That Are In Flooding Areas And Need Assistance ASAP , Hit @reliefgang on the Post or DM, Myself And @djmrrogers Are Out In The Trucks Doing Rescue’s, It Is Suppose to rain Next 4 days So Water will Only Get Higher."
If you need assistance or more information, please visit their website Angel By Nature.
Cleveland ISD said parents who haven't picked up their children can call 281-592-0594.