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Houston, Flooded: Twitter Captures Chaos as Some Schools Close, and Other Students Brave the Deluge

By Mitchell Trinka

April 18, 2016

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A deluge of 1-2 FEET of rain brought south Texas to a standstill Monday, with the resulting flash floods inundating thousands of homes and highways, and forcing more than 100 rescues and the closure of school districts across the area.

Closures included America’s seventh largest school district, the Houston Independent School District, which cancelled classes due to “severe inclement weather and the related potential for dangerous road conditions.”

Here are the latest school closures & remember @METROHouston has halted ALL services. #developing #fox26 pic.twitter.com/GFqTK9KNxZ

— Rita Garcia (@TheRitaGarcia) April 18, 2016

While many districts across the area shut down, eyeing an additional 8 to 10 inches of rain forecasted today, not all schools followed suit.

Flooded at school district. Had to "swim" through. @TheRitaGarcia pic.twitter.com/bXvDk8ZCQf

— Quang Nguyen (@_nguyen_quan_) April 18, 2016

My street was completely flooded you can't even see it @PasadenaISD_TX is this how y'all wanted me to go to school? pic.twitter.com/9neXfJJYMG

— Hilda Rdz (@PaolaRdz21) April 18, 2016

lol @ people who think we're joking about kayaking to school #houstonflood pic.twitter.com/Z92yMY8LeY

— mackenzie (@mackwinkel) April 18, 2016

At schools that chose to open Monday, students documented the chaos: Flooded hallways, collapsing ceilings and closed classrooms.

i feel unsafe here, my school is flooding. cancel please @DPISD pic.twitter.com/hqk4fK8xm3

— jay razo (@jaasmiinee52) April 18, 2016

Lol but La Porte still had school, makes sense pic.twitter.com/a8E8KnLXPy

— makayla (@justmakaylaa) April 18, 2016

When your school starts to flood but we still here @PearlandHighSch pic.twitter.com/KZ9inPU7kB

— Eli Horne (@beefboyeli) April 18, 2016

Students who got to stay home may have been happy about their “rain day,” but at least one class still had homework assignments to complete.

Hisd: "School is closed due to Severe Weather"
Teacher's: All your assignments are on the HUB, have a nice day
Me: pic.twitter.com/BNcRmFqsD0

— 행복 (@Juanito29434) April 18, 2016

Additionally, kids will have to make up the “rain day” at the end of their school year, reported Houston Chronicle’s education reporter Ericka Mellon:

Here's how @teainfo explained school make-up days to me this morning: pic.twitter.com/1qp6H91dse

— Ericka Mellon (@e_mellon) April 18, 2016

Summer break won't come as quickly for some. Weather make-up day is May 26 for @HoustonISD & June 2 for @CyFairISD, after last day of schl.

— Ericka Mellon (@e_mellon) April 18, 2016

A waiver from Texas’ Education Commissioner Mike Morath may change that though, according to Houston ISD.

For those asking, law requires #HISD to make up today's lost day on 5/26, unless the Tx Ed. Commissioner grants district special reprieve.

— Houston ISD (@HoustonISD) April 18, 2016

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                <h1>Houston, Flooded: Twitter Captures Chaos as Some Schools Close, and Other Students Brave the Deluge</h1>

                <h2></h2>

                <p class="sans">By <a rel="author" href="https://www.the74million.org/contributor/20095/">Mitchell Trinka</a></p>

                <img src="https://www.the74million.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1461008956_9913.png">

                <p>This story first appeared at <a href="https://www.the74million.org">The 74</a>, a nonprofit news site covering education. <a href="https://www.the74million.org/about/newsletters/?utm_source=republish-button&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=republish">Sign up for free newsletters from The 74</a> to get more like this in your inbox.</p>
                <div class="article__paragraph">
<div class="article__paragraph opening" dir="ltr">A deluge of 1-2 FEET of rain <a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/texas/article/Storms-bring-heavy-rain-flooding-threat-to-Texas-7254379.php">brought south Texas to a standstill</a> Monday, with the resulting flash floods inundating thousands of homes and highways, and forcing more than 100 rescues and the closure of school districts across the area.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">Closures included America’s seventh largest school district, the Houston Independent School District, <a href="http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2016/04/18/hisd-schools-offices-closed-monday-as-precautionary-measure-due-to-severe-weather-conditions/">which cancelled classes due to</a> “severe inclement weather and the related potential for dangerous road conditions.”</div>
<hr />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here are the latest school closures & remember <a href="https://twitter.com/METROHouston">@METROHouston</a> has halted ALL services. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/developing?src=hash">#developing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fox26?src=hash">#fox26</a> <a href="https://t.co/GFqTK9KNxZ">pic.twitter.com/GFqTK9KNxZ</a></p>
<p>— Rita Garcia (@TheRitaGarcia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRitaGarcia/status/722016885525446656">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<hr />
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">While many districts across the area shut down, eyeing an additional 8 to 10 inches of rain forecasted today, not all schools followed suit.</div>
<hr />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Flooded at school district. Had to "swim" through. <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRitaGarcia">@TheRitaGarcia</a> <a href="https://t.co/bXvDk8ZCQf">pic.twitter.com/bXvDk8ZCQf</a></p>
<p>— Quang Nguyen (@_nguyen_quan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_nguyen_quan_/status/722056050946416640">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My street was completely flooded you can't even see it <a href="https://twitter.com/PasadenaISD_TX">@PasadenaISD_TX</a> is this how y'all wanted me to go to school? <a href="https://t.co/9neXfJJYMG">pic.twitter.com/9neXfJJYMG</a></p>
<p>— Hilda Rdz (@PaolaRdz21) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaolaRdz21/status/722072610855497728">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">lol @ people who think we're joking about kayaking to school <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/houstonflood?src=hash">#houstonflood</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z92yMY8LeY">pic.twitter.com/Z92yMY8LeY</a></p>
<p>— mackenzie (@mackwinkel) <a href="https://twitter.com/mackwinkel/status/722087878210117633">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<hr />
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">At schools that chose to open Monday, students documented the chaos: Flooded hallways, collapsing ceilings and closed classrooms.</div>
<hr />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">i feel unsafe here, my school is flooding. cancel please <a href="https://twitter.com/DPISD">@DPISD</a> <a href="https://t.co/hqk4fK8xm3">pic.twitter.com/hqk4fK8xm3</a></p>
<p>— jay razo (@jaasmiinee52) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaasmiinee52/status/722055651950637057">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lol but La Porte still had school, makes sense <a href="https://t.co/a8E8KnLXPy">pic.twitter.com/a8E8KnLXPy</a></p>
<p>— makayla (@justmakaylaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/justmakaylaa/status/722065849301872640">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When your school starts to flood but we still here <a href="https://twitter.com/PearlandHighSch">@PearlandHighSch</a> <a href="https://t.co/KZ9inPU7kB">pic.twitter.com/KZ9inPU7kB</a></p>
<p>— Eli Horne (@beefboyeli) <a href="https://twitter.com/beefboyeli/status/722046639720902656">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<hr />
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">Students who got to stay home may have been happy about their “rain day,” but at least one class still had homework assignments to complete.</div>
<hr />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hisd: "School is closed due to Severe Weather"<br />
Teacher's: All your assignments are on the HUB, have a nice day<br />
Me: <a href="https://t.co/BNcRmFqsD0">pic.twitter.com/BNcRmFqsD0</a></p>
<p>— 행복 (@Juanito29434) <a href="https://twitter.com/Juanito29434/status/722045243751665664">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<hr />
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">Additionally, kids will have to make up the “rain day” at the end of their school year, reported Houston Chronicle’s education reporter Ericka Mellon:</div>
<hr />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here's how <a href="https://twitter.com/teainfo">@teainfo</a> explained school make-up days to me this morning: <a href="https://t.co/1qp6H91dse">pic.twitter.com/1qp6H91dse</a></p>
<p>— Ericka Mellon (@e_mellon) <a href="https://twitter.com/e_mellon/status/722037262284771328">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Summer break won't come as quickly for some. Weather make-up day is May 26 for <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonISD">@HoustonISD</a> & June 2 for <a href="https://twitter.com/CyFairISD">@CyFairISD</a>, after last day of schl.</p>
<p>— Ericka Mellon (@e_mellon) <a href="https://twitter.com/e_mellon/status/722077594481401856">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<hr />
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">A waiver from Texas’ Education Commissioner Mike Morath may change that though, according to Houston ISD.</div>
<hr />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For those asking, law requires <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HISD?src=hash">#HISD</a> to make up today's lost day on 5/26, unless the Tx Ed. Commissioner grants district special reprieve.</p>
<p>— Houston ISD (@HoustonISD) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonISD/status/722082521966489600">April 18, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

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Houston, Flooded: Twitter Captures Chaos as Some Schools Close, and Other Students Brave the Deluge

Sharpen Up!

Most Popular

What Happens When a 48K-Student District Commits to the ‘Science of Learning’

Corey DeAngelis Disgraced, Not By Liberals He Trolled, but Right-Wing Parents

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