(Bloomberg) — More than 10 inches of rain flooded Houston Tuesday morning, closing freeways and prompting the suspension of all public transit.
Houston TranStar, which monitors regional traffic conditions, listed more than 40 high-water locations slowing or stopping traffic. Houston Metro suspended rail, bus and park- and-ride services until the waters recede. At least four freeways into and out of downtown were affected. The Harris County Sheriff's Office and other agencies advised people to stay off the roads.
At least eight people died in the stormy weekend across Texas and Oklahoma, and 12 were missing, the Associated Press reported. Thirteen people were killed in a tornado in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, near the Texas border.
Most Houston school districts canceled classes for the day. The storms also caused power outages. CenterPoint Energy reported more than 57,000 customers without power at 6:48 a.m. local time. Buffalo Bayou, west of downtown, overflowed its banks and flooded Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway, two major thoroughfares.
Homes, apartments and cars along Brays Bayou in southwestern Houston were flooded up to their roofs. The Houston Fire Department used a boat to evacuate a cancer patient who was stuck in his flooded SUV and needed treatment. Residents, meanwhile, were trapped in their homes with no way to leave, as up to 10 feet of water in places filled the streets and surrounded buildings.
The storm was part of a system that swept east from central Texas, where it caused flooding in downtown Austin and the surrounding area Monday.
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