Authorities in that state doubled down on instructions for residents in low-lying areas to get out of their homes, warning that the worst is yet to come, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in the third-most populous U.S. county, stressed that this is not a “typical river flooding event,” describing the rising water as catastrophic.

At least two dozen water rescues have been performed in the county, with about 30 pets also being taken to safety.

Schools in the path of the flooding have canceled classes, and traffic was snarled as authorities closed flooded roadways.

A truck driver scrambled out of his rapidly sinking vehicle amidst flooding near Shepherd, Texas.

According to local authorities, almost 20 people were rescued from floodwaters in Shepherd on Thursday.

TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN. pic.twitter.com/nE0bS4bCcI

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) May 3, 2024

Weeks of torrential rain in Texas and parts of Louisiana have filled reservoirs and saturated the ground.

Floodwaters partially submerged cars and roads this week in parts of southeast Texas, north of Houston, where water reached the rooftops of some homes.

In the rural community of Shepherd, Gilroy Fernandes said he had about an hour to evacuate his home with his wife after a mandatory order was issued.

In Montgomery County, Judge Mark Keough said more rescues have been conducted because of high water than he could count.

“We estimate we’ve had a couple hundred rescues from homes or vehicles,” Keough said.

In Polk County, which is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Houston, authorities have conducted more than 100 water rescues in recent days, said Courtney Comstock, Polk County’s emergency management coordinator.

Houston officials have not reported any deaths or injuries so far.

The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metropolitan areas in the U.S. and has a history of dealing with devastating weather events.

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall on the region, flooding thousands of homes and prompting more than 60,000 rescues by emergency responders across Harris County.

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