Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Houston flooding: Texas declares city a 'disaster zone' after five killed in historic floods

Texans are braced for more rain and flash flooding a day in a period of extreme weather

 

Rachael Revesz
New York
Tuesday 19 April 2016 20:17 BST
Comments
Residents flee their homes amid fears of further flooding
Residents flee their homes amid fears of further flooding (AP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Houston has been declared “a disaster zone” following the deaths of five people amid historic flooding and record rainfall.

More rain and flash flooding is expected in texas after 17.6 inches (44.7cm) of rain fell on one day alone, after 16 inches of rain the previous day.

The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has declared a state of emergency as 70,000 people in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US, have been left without electricity.

At least one person who died was found submerged in their car.

Flooding has stemmed from rivers and creeks bursting their banks.

Rising water has submerged homes and vehicles, forcing people to swim or take boats to safety.

At least 1,000 homes have flooded, and temporary evacuation centres have been set up in a large shopping centre.

Officials have warned children not to play in water that is likely to contain snakes and ants.

“Do not think the city is not seeing you,” Mayor Sylvester Turner told residents in Greenspoint, a poor, mostly Hispanic neighbourhood of 112,000 people in northern Houston, in a press conference.

“It's a situation where all throughout the city, and quite frankly all throughout our region, we're dealing with high water.”

Greenspoint residents have been forced to move their belongings on blow-up air beds and inside refrigerators.

According to the City of Houston Twitter account, this flood is the largest to strike Houston since Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, which killed 23 people.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in