The National Weather Service extended a flood watch for Montgomery County through Thursday afternoon, Sept. 3, as ground saturated by Tropical Storm Edouard leaves no room for more rain.
The watch, issued at 12:03 a.m. Thursday, covers Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker and Liberty counties, among others, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter. Soil soaked by Edouard's remnants will send new rainfall straight into ditches, creeks and roadways, the agency warned.
The extension pushes the threat a full day beyond the original Wednesday watch.
Why the risk is worse now
The NWS said high rainfall totals across Montgomery, Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto and Trinity counties have left the ground fully saturated. Forecasters warned of embedded "training" storms, cells that move repeatedly over the same ground, capable of dropping 2 to 4 inches of rain per hour.
Where those storms line up over saturated soil, the agency said, water will run off almost immediately and produce flash flooding.
The Houston Chronicle reported that Thursday's heaviest downpours would most likely fall north and northwest of Houston, the direction of The Woodlands. Even a brief burst of heavy rain could overwhelm streets and drainage systems in those areas, the Chronicle noted.
Within Montgomery County, the risk is uneven. Eastern portions and areas along and north of Highway 105 face greater exposure. Residents near the East Fork of the San Jacinto River should stay especially alert, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.
What has already fallen
Neighboring Polk and San Jacinto counties have received 9 to 15 inches of storm-total rainfall, with a gauge near Livingston recording 7.97 inches. Across broader East Texas, totals reached 15 to 22 inches in spots.
Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy declared a state of disaster on Wednesday, Sept. 2, after Edouard flooded roads and forced closures near Livingston and Corrigan.
"This one is different," Murphy told the Lufkin Daily News. "This is: you get buckets of water dumped on you and then the water has to find some place to go."
Power and tornado updates
Entergy Texas reported that about 51,000 customers remained without power as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, down from a peak of approximately 80,000 on Tuesday. Entergy's service area includes Montgomery County.
On Wednesday, the NWS also issued a tornado warning for southeast Montgomery County near Chateau Woods and The Woodlands. No damage was reported from that warning, according to Telemundo Houston.
Looking ahead to Labor Day weekend
Tropical moisture from Edouard's remnants is expected to linger through the holiday weekend, bringing scattered showers and storms each day, according to KPRC 2 meteorologist Rachel Briers. Thursday's heaviest thunderstorm potential falls early in the day, with an 85 percent chance of precipitation before conditions taper, according to Woodlands Online.
No additional watches or warnings beyond Thursday afternoon had been issued as of Thursday morning. The NWS advises residents in flood-prone areas to monitor forecasts and be prepared to act if water begins rising. A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flooding; a warning means flooding is happening or imminent.
The Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management urged residents in a Sept. 1 advisory to avoid flooded roadways: turn around, don't drown.
