Houston, Texas — A series of storms in Texas has resulted in severe flooding, culminating in the tragic death of a 5-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters early Sunday morning. The incident underscores growing global concerns over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
Over the past week, areas near Lake Livingston, northeast of Houston, have experienced up to 58 centimeters of rainfall, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jimmy Fowler. Northeastern Harris County received between 15 to nearly 43 centimeters of rain in the same period, leading to widespread flooding of homes and roads.
“With the rainfall that fell overnight plus this morning, it just kind of prolonged the river flooding that we were experiencing,” Fowler said. He added that while scattered showers brought additional rainfall on Sunday, the weather is expected to improve with no heavy rain events forecasted in the coming week.
In Johnson County, south of Fort Worth, the child lost his life after the vehicle he was in became stuck in swift-moving water near the community of Lillian around 2 a.m. Sunday. The boy and two adults were attempting to reach dry ground when they were swept away. Rescuers found the adults after several hours and recovered the child’s body later in the morning.
The storms have affected central Texas to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with some regions receiving up to 23 centimeters of rain within six to eight hours, reported National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Stalley. The heavy rainfall resulted in washed-out roads and heightened concerns over infrastructure resilience in the face of such events.
This tragic incident in Texas serves as a stark reminder of the global challenges posed by climate change. Across the world, including in Asia, communities are facing similar threats from extreme weather patterns, necessitating increased preparedness and international cooperation to mitigate the impacts of climate-related disasters.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
