The remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda claimed a life as the system dumped heavy rain and caused widespread flooding across Southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana.
A 19-year-old man was electrocuted and died while trying to move his horse to safety during a lightning storm, authorities said. Hunter Morrison’s story was shared by his family through the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“Thank you for all the kind words and phone calls I have received over the past 8 hrs but I do want to clarify something…he wasn’t ‘saving’ people. He was trying to move his horse, got electrocuted, and drowned,” the message on Facebook said. “I wanted to make that known because I have had news people call me and want the story. I am not upset by any means but I just want the facts to be straight and not give him a sense of false heroism. Thank you for your kind words and if you hear the story being told wrong…please correct them. Thank you.”
Imelda, which previously was a tropical storm and tropical depression, is a slow-moving system that has dumped up to 3 feet in some areas, drawing comparisons to the record-setting rainfall that came from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
“The PRELIMINARY highest storm total rainfall amount of 43.15 inches in Jefferson County, TX would make #Imelda the 7th wettest tropical cyclone in United States history as well as the 4th wettest tropical cyclone ever to impact the state of Texas,” the National Weather Service station in Houston said in a tweet Thursday evening.
The PRELIMINARY highest storm total rainfall amount of 43.15 inches in Jefferson County, TX would make #Imelda the 7th wettest tropical cyclone in United States history as well as the 4th wettest tropical cyclone ever to impact the state of Texas. #txwx #houwx #bcswx #glswx
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) September 19, 2019
Rescue crews have frantically worked to assist stranded people in cars and homes in heavily flooded areas. Officials in Harris County, which includes Houston, said there have been more than 1,000 rescues.
In Jefferson County, which is east of Houston, there were some evacuations as authorities warned a levee near Beaumont “is deteriorating and could break at any moment.”
The Houston Independent School District, which has more than 200,000 students, faced condemnation from parents and teachers upset that classes were not canceled or shortened on Thursday. Some parents waded and drove through flooded streets to pick up their children.
Inspiring & sad to watch parents wade through flood waters to pick up their scared babies from school. @HoustonISD should have closed today. But thanks to the teachers, who stayed to ensure kids are safe. #abc13 #abc13houston https://t.co/1YDjwjGL0L pic.twitter.com/ucesilteuF
— Miya Shay (@ABC13Miya) September 19, 2019
Hundreds of parents and teachers slammed the Houston Independent School District for not canceling classes
About 8 miles of the westbound lane of I-10 flooded up to the concrete divider. pic.twitter.com/mKUXjfwyFV
— Denise Middleton (@DeniseFOX26) September 19, 2019
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency in several counties experiencing widespread flooding, unlocking state resources for aide and rescue efforts.
More i10 flooding madness: these cows are stuck. No place to go. We are forced to head back to #Houston from #Winnie on the wrong side of the road. #abc13 https://t.co/Cuopv5mmW9 pic.twitter.com/QNA4p9Bj4Z
— Courtney Fischer (@CourtneyABC13) September 19, 2019
“The State of Texas is working closely with local officials and emergency personnel to provide the resources they need to keep Texans safe from Tropical Storm Imelda,” Abbott said in a statement. “I thank our first responders who are acting swiftly to help the communities that are facing this severe weather event. I urge all those in the path of this storm to take the necessary precautions and heed all warnings from local officials.”
