Houston Astros fans take cover under umbrellas as heavy rain leaks into Minute Maid Park during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the Astros and Texas Rangers on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) - Schools shut down Friday in the Houston area after an overnight storm dumped heavy rainfall on the flood-prone city, though forecasters said the high waters were expected to recede as the storms let up.
The National Weather Service said most areas saw about 1 to 3 inches of rain late Thursday and early Friday, with some places getting 3 to 6 inches of rain during that time period. Forecasters said a lull in rainfall was expected Friday, but the area braced for another round of storms late Friday and early Saturday.
The storms pelted the Houston area with golf-ball sized hail and flooded streets, leading to several high-water rescues. Although the dome was up at Minute Maid Park, some fans at the Houston Astros' Thursday night game were drenched after the roof began leaking.
The Harris County Flood Control District said early Friday that many bayous and creeks had crested and the water level was beginning to fall.
A flood warning was in effect for Houston through mid-morning Friday. In parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, forecasters warned that scattered flash flooding was possible as the storm heads to the east.
Houston has repeatedly faced flooding in recent years because the city has insufficient drainage and experienced rapid development that reduced wetlands.
Houston Astros fans take cover under umbrellas as heavy rain leaks into Minute Maid Park during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the Astros and Texas Rangers on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Rain-soaked flags fly under the closed roof as heavy rain leaks into Minute Maid Park during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Vehicles remain stuck in the flooded E. Knox Drive following an overnight storm Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Porter, Texas. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Jay Dabravio removes drywall from his flooded house in the Sherwood Trail subdivision, Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Kingwood, Texas. Heavy rain battered parts of southeast Texas prompting flash flood warnings, power outages and calls for water rescues. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Two vehicles remain stuck in flooded Adams Street following an overnight storm Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Porter, Texas. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Jay Dabravio throws a matt onto a pile at the front of his house in the Sherwood Trail subdivision, Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Kingwood, Texas. Heavy rain battered parts of southeast Texas prompting flash flood warnings, power outages and calls for water rescues. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
A man walks past a flooded car on Williams Trace Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. The road is closed past Austin Parkway and onto Sweetwater Boulevard after the area was pounded by rain Tuesday. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
A car sits stuck in the street in the Colony Bend neighborhood of Sugar Land, Texas, on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. Residents have been surprised that the water has not receded more quickly as it has in the past when the rain has stopped. In a video released Wednesday morning, the mayor of Sugar Land told residents that levees to the Brazos River had been closed, and that water was now being pumped over the levees into the Brazos, making the water recede much more slowly. More rain is forecast for the coming days. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Vehicles wade through flooded Kingwood Drive as thunderstorms hit the Kingwood area Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Kingwood, Texas. Heavy rain is battering parts of southeast Texas prompting flash flood warnings, power outages and calls for water rescues. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press
Siblings Katie and Lander Meinen survey their street by kayak with their dog, Bailey, in the Colony Bend neighborhood of Sugar Land, Texas, on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. Residents have been surprised that the water has not receded more quickly as it has in the past when the rain has stopped. More rain is forecast for the coming days. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The Associated Press