Flash flood warnings are in effect as Tropical Storm Bill makes landfall in Texas. Numerous recovery centers have already been activated in areas east of I-35, including Houston and other densely populated parts of Harris County. Some streets are flooded in towns along the Gulf.
Harvey Rice, a reporter from the Houston Chronicle, was on the front lines of the storm in Galveston this morning. “The wind is blowing, and the trees are shaking with the high wind,” he says. “I was out earlier this morning driving around, and the sea looks pretty angry.”
Officials have road crews on standby, waiting for the rain to come. The level of rain will determine the extent of the flooding ahead for Galveston and the rest of the state. So far, tides have been lower than expected, suggesting flooding may not be as severe as possible. “What I’m told is it should blow through; it should be a short-term event,” Rice says.
Texans can track the latest news on the storm here. An interactive weather map shows a constantly-updated view of the storm as it makes its way across the state.
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