Street flooding, canceled classes due to Texas coastal rain
HOUSTON (AP) - A tropical disturbance brought heavy rain Friday to already saturated areas along the Texas Gulf Coast, resulting in street flooding and prompting some schools to cancel classes.
The National Weather Service said the disturbance was expected to make its way inland in South Texas Friday afternoon. Forecasters had worried the system, which had formed in the Gulf about a week ago, could have strengthened into a tropical storm but National Weather Service meteorologist Rob Frye said, "It never could get its act together."
As a precaution, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 78 counties that could be impacted. The tropical disturbance was predicted to bring 5 inches (12 centimeters) or more of rain to some areas that have already been drenched by rain this week.
Rain bands from the disturbance made their way hundreds of miles up the Texas Gulf Coast to Galveston, which had up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) of water on some roadways on Friday due to heavy rainfall. Galveston officials suspended city bus services and Texas A&M University's campus in the city canceled its classes.
The island city, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston, has had more than 16 inches (40 centimeters) of rain through the first 13 days of September, breaking a record for this time period that dates back to 1961.
In Corpus Christi, the school district delayed classes for two hours. Neighboring districts in Aransas Pass and Kingsville canceled classes. Farther south in Brownsville, several area school districts planned to send students home early.
Showers were expected to continue through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
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