Houston receives around 1,200 mm (roughly 50 inches) of rain annually, and its flat, low-elevation terrain near the Gulf of Mexico means that rain has nowhere fast to drain. The city’s vulnerability was made clear during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when a slow-moving tropical system dropped record rainfall and caused catastrophic flooding across the metro area. Even outside of hurricane season, Houston sees strong thunderstorm complexes roll in off the Gulf, capable of dumping several inches of rain in a short period. Because rainfall intensity, not just total accumulation, is what turns a routine storm into a flooding emergency here, live radar imagery is one of the most practical tools residents have for judging whether a system is intensifying nearby. The area is covered by the National Weather Service’s Doppler radar network, which meteorologists use to track approaching bands and issue flash flood warnings well ahead of standing water on the roads.
Learn more: Hurricane Season Radar Guide · Open the full Rain Map