Houston forecast: Hanna to bring more rain to Houston Sunday

HOUSTON – Tropical Storm Hanna is moving into northeast Mexico while continuing to drench much of the south coast.

Flash Flood Warnings are ongoing in the southern Valley as heavy rain has been falling overnight.

LOCALLY: We’ve had a mostly quiet night with a muggy mostly cloudy overnight and temperatures holding in the mid-70s.

Today, we’ll watch for more outer bands to develop as tropical moisture once again will get pulled onshore from the overall swirl to the atmosphere as Hanna moves into Mexico. Some downpours could be on the strong side, dropping a quick half an inch or up to an inch within an hour or so.

Saturday, 10 p.m. – Heavy wind and rain poured intermittently through Galveston as Hurricane Hanna made her way to landfall near Corpus Christi. Distant effects of the hurricane were felt in Galveston County. Though many residents felt comfortable with the conditions, officials urged residents to take precautions for possible coastal flooding.

Dozens of vacationers and beachgoers tried to enjoy Babe’s Beach in the afternoon until masses of rain poured. Galveston County OEM said the tropical storm warning was canceled but coastal flood warnings remained for Galveston Island and Boliver.

KPRC 2 meteorologist Justin Stapleton indicated storm surge to be one to two feet as well as an expected elevated high tide Sunday morning.

Red flags waved along the beachfront, indicating strong rip currents.

Galveston County OEM said they would be monitoring weather conditions all weekend.

Saturday, 6:15 p.m. – Hanna makes a second landfall at 6:15 p.m. in Kenedy County with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Saturday, 6 p.m. – KPRC 2 Reporter Rose Ann Aragon provides a weather update as rain bands move into Galveston.

Saturday, 5 p.m. – Hurricane Hanna makes landfall on Padre Island with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

Saturday, 4 p.m. – KPRC 2 meteorologist Justin Stapleton provides an update on Hurricane Hanna and how much rain Houston can expect tonight.

Saturday, 3 p.m. – Hanna is a CAT 1 hurricane with winds sustained at 85 mph with wind gusts to 100 mph. Winds are expected to hold around 85 mph upon landfall within the next few hours somewhere near Port Mansfield.

Although Hanna will make landfall safely south of Houston, impacts will be felt far away from the center of the storm. Outer rain bands will continue to move through Southeast Texas throughout the remainder of the day into this evening.

When storms rotate through expect quick, heavy downpours and brief gusty winds. Some rain bands will continue through tonight and even some for Sunday as well.

For the Houston area, there is a Flash Flood Watch for counties south of Harris until 7 a.m. Sunday morning. Two to four inches of rain are expected mainly south of I-10. Locally, higher amounts could occur in isolated locations.

Jackson, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Matagorda, Wharton and Galveston counties could experience isolated pockets of 5-6′’ of rain.

A Coastal Flood Warning is in effect for coastal portions of Galveston and Harris Counties as one to two feet of surge is possible. This includes Galveston Bay.

Coastal impacts will be larger from Sargent southward to Port O’Connor. Three to five feet of surge is possible in coastal areas of Matagorda and Jackson County.

The National Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane Warning for the coast from Port O’Connor to the Baffin Bay.

Tropical Storm Warnings continue from Matagorda Bay southward past Port Mansfield, likely where the eye of Hanna will pass.

After landfall, Hanna will push inland continuing into northern Mexico. This slow movement will allow for a strong onshore push for Southeast Texas for multiple days.

This persistent southeast wind will allow for a strong influx of Gulf moisture. This will allow for daily downpours and indirect impacts from Hanna through Tuesday.

What to expect in Houston area as Hurricane Hanna moves inland: