Houston flooding: Mandatory evacuation for East Fork of San Jacinto River, shelter in place

HOUSTON - Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo reports a disaster declaration has been issued for Harris County and a mandatory evacuation has been issued for a specific area near Houston.

On Thursday, Hidalgo held a press conference where she announced residents on the East Fork of the San Jacinto River must evacuate their homes because of high water risk. Residents should leave as soon as possible before it becomes dark.

Click here to see if your address is in the evacuation zone.

The East Fork of San Jacinto River is nearing 78 feet above sea level which is about three feet below Hurricane Harvey water levels, according to officials.

SUGGESTED: Turn around, don't drown: List of flooded roads across Houston area

The Harris County Office of Emergency Management has increased to Level 2 - High Readiness. This means more partners have been activated and are preparing for what could come next. 

Map of San Jacinto River forks. (Courtesy of San Jacinto River Authority)

Flooding threats are much less severe for West Fork San Jacinto River near the Kingwood and Atascocita areas. Hidalgo recommends residents in these areas either plan to shelter in place at their homes for two to three days or leave as soon as possible: Kingwood, nearest the San Jacinto River, Forest Cove, North Shore, Bellawood, and River Crest, Kingspoint and Atascocita Shores.

The Kingwood area has seen significant damage from the rainfall with more than a dozen cars being seen stalled out in the middle of the road. Residents say the scene is very reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey.

Andrew Coleman, a Kingwood resident, is leaving his home like many others to avoid being stuck in a life-threatening situation from dangerous water levels.

"Due to Harvey, it kind of scared me. [I] don’t want to have another issue again to where a lot of trauma there," Coleman said. "To avoid these issues I kind of want to get out as fast as possible and avoid it potentially worst issue compared to what it is now."

Houston Mayor John Whitmire says the City of Houston is standing by and prepared for what’s to come as they have first responders, rescue boats, and divers on standby.

"We’re monitoring the situation but at this point, we’re at the mercy of the weather we’re doing everything we can possible," Whitmire said.

Residents in Rio Villa have until Friday night to decide if they will shelter in place or leave their homes. The water is not expected to peak Friday night or Saturday early morning, since Rio Villa is farther south.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE

Areas along the West Fork of the river will be surrounded by water and people will likely be trapped in their homes.

Center Point Energy also spoke to Hidalgo and informed her that northwest of Houston near the Spring area may be without power for 24 to 36 hours as winds that have come through have caused damages which they are working around the clock to repair.

If you or your loved ones need a shelter location, click here to view the full list of active shelters.