HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As rain is gradually clearing out of southeast Texas after an active night of widespread storms, first responders had a busy night on the roads due to standing high water.
#TrafficAlert: Be careful of standing high water on I-45 North near the Patton St. exit! There%u2019s been at least 3 crashes here overnight that we know of. @13PhotogNoe captured the moment a Metro bus crashed into a car that braked while driving through the water. @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/cA9QbKz9kF
%u2014 Rosie Nguyen (@RosieABC13) January 8, 2023
One particular area on I-45 North near the Patton Street exit accumulated a large amount of high water overnight, leading to at least three crashes Sunday morning. captured the moment a Metro bus slammed into the back of a car that braked while driving through the water shortly after 6 a.m. All parties involved appeared to be OK.
In the Hockley area, drivers saw heavy rain on Highway 290. Some cars were forced to stop or turn around.
In downtown Houston, firefighters rescued a man that was stuck under the Smith Street bridge on the north side of the Buffalo Bayou. Firefighters could be seen bringing the man to shore on the south side of the bayou.
Overall, the message from officials is to take it slow as you head out the door this morning. If you encounter standing high water on the road, drive around it. If that’s not possible, turn around and don’t drown. It’s not worth risking your safety, especially if you don’t know how deep the water is.
