Hundreds of students stranded at Texas school as downpour turns to flooding – By Madeline Holcombe (CNN) / May 8 2019
(CNN)Hundreds of students were stranded in an elementary school Tuesday night as heavy rain hit southeast Texas.
A massive downpour kept buses and parents off the roads in Cleveland, Texas and forced Southside Elementary to keep students inside, Cleveland Independent School District spokesperson Susan Ard told CNN.
“In Cleveland we have a lot of low-lying areas,” Ard said. “We can’t get buses through.”
About 200 students remained at the school late Tuesday, Ard said. A local church brought in cots for the students and staff to stay the night, Ard said.
More than 100 faculty and staff members remained at the school with plans to sleep in shifts to keep watch on the students, Ard said.
https://www.facebook.com/clevelandisd.org/posts/2225278317567609
The students — mostly elementary school age — were keeping busy playing cards and watching television, Ard said.
School will not be in session for the district tomorrow, Ard said.
Another school district about 15 miles away, New Caney Independent School District, posted on Twitter Tuesday night that it was also unable to transport students home, but remained open for parents to pick up their children.
Due to safety concerns, buses will not be transporting students home tonight. Campuses will remain open for parents to pick up their children throughout the evening and into the night. Beware hazardous road conditions. Reminder: you need a picture ID to pick up your child. #NCISD
— New Caney ISD (@newcaneyisd) May 8, 2019
Southeast Texas has seen widespread flooding following intense rain.
There was an estimated 14 inches of rain in areas near Houston, about 46 miles away from Cleveland, according to the National Weather Service.
That has resulted in 250 calls for high water rescue to the Houston Fire Department, department spokesperson Sheldra Brigham said on Twitter.
Hundreds of homes have been affected by rising water in the Kingwood area. HFD has boots on the ground to check and clear those homes. @HoustonFire
— Sheldra Brigham (@SheldraBrigham) May 8, 2019
The threat stretched about 35 miles west of Houston, where a Fort Bend County judge has issued a disaster declaration for flash flooding and potential Brazos River flooding.
“Our residents need to understand that is a serious threat,” Fort Bend County Judge KP George said, “This flash flooding tonight is contributing to the Brazos River levels, which still pose a threat later this week. We are not out of the woods yet.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/08/us/texas-flooding-students-trapped/index.html
