Tropical Storm Imelda Dumps More Than 40 Inches of Rain in Texas, Triggering Catastrophic Flooding (RECAP)

More than two feet of rain drenched southeast Texas, including a few spots that saw more than 40 inches. The heaviest rain fell in a short amount time Sept. 18-19, 2019.

(MORE: How Imelda's Rainfall Compares to Harvey)

Greens Bayou at US 59 measured 6.24 inches of rain in one hour midday Sept. 19. Conroe, Texas, measured 5.16 inches of rain in an hour earlier that same morning.

In Jefferson County, Texas, some areas just south of the city of Beaumont picked up over 20 inches of rain in just 12 hours.

Imelda dropped enough rain in one day at Houston's Intercontinental Airport (9.21 inches on Sept. 19) to set the city's record for its wettest calendar day in September.

Floodwaters surrounded Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on the afternoon of Sept. 19, making terminals inaccessible. Metro buses were stranded in floodwaters.

Imelda's Highest Rainfall Totals

The highest rainfall total from Imelda was 43.39 inches southwest of Beaumont in Jefferson County at North Fork Taylors Bayou.

Below are some additional rainfall totals from southeast Texas.

-33.58 inches near Hamshire

-29.68 inches at the East Fork of the San Jacinto River

-20.85 inches at Beaumont/Port Arthur Regional Airport

-19.90 inches in Humble

-11.68 inches at Houston's Intercontinental Airport

Imelda's History

Imelda formed from an area of disturbed weather the National Hurricane Center tracked for a few days as it moved westward through the Gulf of Mexico.

The disturbance developed an organized area of low pressure near the coast of Texas on Sept. 17 and was designated Tropical Depression Eleven by the National Hurricane Center at 12 p.m. CDT. Roughly 45 minutes later, the system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Imelda and made landfall 15 minutes later at 1 p.m. CDT.

Imelda then meandered through southeast Texas where brought torrential rainfall.