Flash flood warning as multiple storm rounds target Houston area
A flash flood watch has been issued for the Houston area from 3 a.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Saturday, covering 14 counties as a powerful storm system moves into the region, Qazinform News Agency reports citing National Weather Service.
The alert includes Harris, Brazos, Colorado, Fort Bend, Grimes, Madison, Montgomery, Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, Washington, and Wharton counties.
Rainfall totals are expected to range from 2 to 4 inches across much of the area, with isolated locations potentially receiving up to 6 inches. Forecasters say three separate rounds of storms are likely on Friday, creating an extended period of heavy rainfall lasting nearly 24 hours.
The first wave of storms is set to begin early Friday, with rainfall gradually easing after 8 p.m. By around 11 p.m., only light showers are expected to remain. Conditions on Saturday morning are forecast to turn cooler and breezy, offering a temporary break from the storms.
The timing means the highest risk of heavy rain will coincide with daytime and evening hours on Friday, potentially affecting commuters and travelers across the region. Temperatures on Saturday are expected to reach the 60s to low 70s, marking a noticeable shift from the stormy conditions.
The watch covers a wide area of southeast Texas, stretching from Harris County through Brazos and Washington counties, and including Fort Bend, Montgomery, and neighboring areas. Several Gulf Coast counties are expected to experience the same weather system simultaneously.
The broader severe weather risk for areas west, south, and southwest of Houston is rated at Level 1 on a five-point scale, placing the flood watch within a wider weather alert for Friday. Looking ahead, Sunday is expected to start in the 50s before warming into the mid-70s, with additional rainfall possible by midweek.
Residents in the affected areas are advised to plan around Friday’s storm activity, particularly given the potential for localized rainfall totals reaching 6 inches. The flood watch is set to expire at 4 a.m. Saturday, leaving the rest of the day as the first likely window of calmer weather after the system passes.
As Qazinform News Agency reported earlier, January 2026 was the fifth-warmest on record globally, with contrasting temperature extremes seen in both hemispheres, the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported.