Don't get complacent: Bellaire isn't out of the woods (or debris) yet, officials say

By Charlotte Aguilar
With a strong chance of rain every day in the 10-day forecast for Bellaire, officials are warning: “Don’t let your guard down.”
As Public Works crews took to the streets Saturday to remove branches and other debris, an alert from Bellaire’s Emergency Command Center reminded residents: “Hurricane Harvey is likely to be with us for awhile. Structures that have never flooded before may flood, and stay flooded for several days. Please stay out of the water, and look out for your neighbor.”
A number of residents indicated on social media that they were clearing their own streets, in a spirit of neighborliness.
Anyone spotting debris or needing storm inlets cleared on their streets should call the emergency center at 713-662-8206.
While the worst of the effects of Hurricane Harvey were felt west and northwest of Bellaire, the system is still at tropical storm levels. Tornado warnings continued to pop up in the Houston area, and forecasters were uncertain of what path the storm would continue to take — only sure that it would continue to move slowly in the next five days and dump heavy rain wherever it moves.
A visit to Brays Bayou at Stella Link Road Saturday afternoon, just east of Bellaire, showed that the water level was nearing the top of the concrete lining.
The Weather Bug hyperlocal site showed an 80 percent chance of rain in Bellaire through Monday and from a 40 to 70 percent chance every day in the 10-day forecast.
Bellaire city facilities are closed over the weekend, as well as Evelyn’s Park and its cafe. A decision has yet to be made about openings on Monday and whether solid waste collection will take place.
Houston ISD and Houston Community College, as well as a number of private schools, have made the decision not to open Monday.