Flash flooding has wreaked havoc in Texas with emergency crews rescuing more than 1,000 people from rising waters sparked by the remnants of Tropical Depression Imelda.
Rescuers pulled people from flooded homes in Houston, the city’s airport halted flights and tens of thousands of people lost power as torrential rains hit on Thursday.
Officials warned millions of people in the area to hunker down as the National Hurricane Centre forecast that the storm could drop up to 40 inches (102 cm) of rain.
Scores of motorists were stranded in their vehicles as some of Houston's main roadways flooded, submerging cars, dramatic images showed.
Firefighters, police and residents themselves were out in boats and all-terrain vehicles to pick up people trapped in their homes by the rising waters.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said among those rescued were nine children and employees from a day care centre that been flooded in Aldine, about 10 miles north of Houston.
"If you're at school, stay at school. If you're at home, stay at home. If you're at work, stay at work," said Lina Hidalgo, the Harris County judge.
She declared a state of emergency for the Houston area.
Flights were grounded at George Bush Intercontinental Airport for about two hours due to the storm, and Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for over a dozen counties.
There were no reports of deaths or severe injuries by mid-afternoon.
The storm knocked out power to around 100,000 people in Houston and southeast Texas, according to reports from energy companies, while work at oil refineries in the area was slowed or halted.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city was better prepared to rescue stranded residents and deal with flooding than when Hurricane Harvey, which led to dozens of deaths in the city and billions of dollars in damage in 2017.
The small town of Winnie, about 60 miles (100 km) east of Houston, was badly hit. Officials there evacuated Riceland Hospital and tried to rescue people marooned in their vehicles after roads turned into lakes.
Imelda made landfall as a tropical storm near Freeport, Texas on Tuesday.
Agencies contributed to this report
