HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Though the rain stopped Friday afternoon, conditions north of Houston are expected to worsen. That's because the San Jacinto River will continue to rise.
Neighborhoods along the east and west forks of the San Jacinto River have already experienced catastrophic flooding due to five days of heavy rain. That rain accumulation has caused the river to rise above its crest.
According to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the east fork of the San Jacinto River is usually 40 to 50 feet above sea level. On Tuesday, that side of the river got up to 70 feet above sea level, flooding nearby neighborhoods like Idle Wild, Idle Glen and Northwood Country Estates.
The river appeared to reach a peak of 77.75 feet around midnight on Friday. To put that in perspective, the highest level the river has reached is 81 feet -- a level it reached during Hurricane Harvey, according to Meteorologist Chita Craft.
"Don't let the break in the weather give you a false sense of security," Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Peña said. "If you can get out, get out now."
Texas flooding updates: Hidalgo warns it's now too late to evacuate East Fork of San Jacinto River; rescues underway
The west fork of the river -- where neighborhoods like Kingwood, Forest Cove and Bellawood are -- is expected to reach its peak by Saturday afternoon between 3 and 5 p.m.
Though not all neighborhoods near the San Jacinto River are under a mandatory evacuation, Houston, Harris County and Montgomery County officials are urging people to leave their homes or be prepared to be stuck there through the weekend.
"Evacuate if possible if you're in a low-lying area," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said while he was in Kingwood on Friday. "Don't wait until it's too late."
Craft said the river is expected to drop out of major flooding stage by Sunday morning, but flooding will be ongoing through Monday.
Neighborhoods under mandatory and voluntary evacuations
A mandatory evacuation was issued for residents along the east side of the east fork of the San Jacinto River. On the east side of the east fork are the communities near FM 1485, all the way down to Lake Houston:
A voluntary evacuation has been issued for the following neighborhoods:
- Kingwood residents who live close to the west fork of the San Jacinto River
- Forest Cove
- North Shore
- Bellawood
- Rivercrest
- Kingspoint
- Atascocita Shores
- Rio Villa