FORECAST: Coastal communities catch break; storm expected to pass today

Surfside Beach Police Chief Gary Phillips surveyed the damage Tuesday morning and found some flooded streets and beach erosion in the wake of Beta, but overall his coastal community looked OK.

“We fared well,” he said. “Better than the night before.”

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, however, was tweeting warnings early Tuesday: “Turn around, don’t drown isn’t a slogan, it is a strategy to stay safe and alive.”

“Lots of street flooding in our area,” he wrote. “Please do not go out unless you need to. If you need to drive wait until daylight if at all possible. Do not cross flooded roadways or go around barricades.”

Police and fire departments had made nearly 100 high-water rescues by late Tuesday morning, according to city officials.

Tropical Storm Beta’s coastal flooding was expected, with residents in Galveston, Surfside Beach and other communities braced for higher tides and plenty of

rain. But the inland flooding was stronger than some residents anticipated as Beta dumped many inches of rain for hours on Houston-area residents.

Some endured 13 to 14 inches by Tuesday afternoon. And they were facing more rain as the storm continued its slow trek across Texas.

“We just have to get through tonight,” Dan Reilly, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Houston/ Galveston office, said during a presentation Tuesday afternoon.

He said an additional 4 to 8 inches of rain is possible. Some higher amounts of 10-plus inches could occur, too.

Isolated storm totals could reach 20 inches when combined with the rain that has already fallen.

Flash flooding threat

“Flash flooding is the remaining threat with Beta,” Reilly said.

Prior to Tropical Storm Beta making landfall Monday night near Matagorda Bay, Reilly said coastal counties could receive 5 to 10 inches of rain. Inland communities — roughly north of the U.S. 59 to U.S. 90 route connecting Wharton to Houston to Dayton — could see 2 to 4 inches of rain, though higher amounts up to 15 inches could occur anywhere a heavy rain band sets up.

Beta was downgraded to a tropical depression on Tuesday.

Eric Berger, the editor of Space City Weather, said the National Weather Service’s forecast was pretty good. North of I-10 largely saw 2 to 4 inches of rain. Communities closer to I-10 and south of I-10 had more of the 5 to 10 inches of rain. Then there were some isolated areas — south of 610, Friendswood, Pearland — that had higher amounts.

“I think it’s fair to say this came within the higher end of expectations,” Berger said, “but within the realm of what was predicted.”

The main issue Monday and Monday night was a potent rain band, some 10 to 20 miles wide. Berger said it’s difficult to know where rain bands will ultimately set up. This one happened to choose the Gulf Freeway, and it parked there when the storm stalled.

Waterways overflowed. Stranded drivers required high-water rescues, and some homeowners had water rushing under their front doors. Brays and Buffalo Bayous sent water onto roadways and climbing toward residences.

In Friendswood, many streets were impassable, including major thoroughfares that crossed over Clear Creek, which rose so much that it crested over the bank and onto the roads.

Moving southeast

Apryl Sandoval has walked the neighborhood enough over the years to know where the consistent flooding spots are. Indeed, roads dip at random places and the elevations of houses vary, even on a single residential block.

“Just depends on where the rain bands are,” Sandoval said, joking that “after Harvey we were saying, the builders must have been high on something. The elevation is very different house to house.”

Additional rain and rain bands were expected Tuesday night, which could cause flash flooding or flooding of already elevated streams and creeks. But the effects of Beta will likely pass Houston by Wednesday afternoon, forecasters said.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the center of Beta is expected to move over southeastern Texas through Wednesday and then over Louisiana and Mississippi Wednesday night through Friday. It could dissipate over Mississippi or Alabama by Saturday, if not sooner.