HOUSTON -- Just when Houstonians thought that Tropical Depression Allison was dissipating, strong winds and rains began turning east, promising to douse the water-soaked area with more precipitation Thursday night.

News2Houston meteorologist Frank Billingsley said that the storms will hang on through Friday.

"This is going to be a five-to-10 inch rainfall event over the next 12 hours," Billingsley said at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Billingsley said that Houston is far from being out of Allison's grasp.

"Some of the newest computer models indicate that this system could go back into the Gulf," Billingsley said.

Allison's center was located near Lufkin, Texas, Thursday morning, but as of 1 p.m. Thursday it had shifted southwest just to the northwest of Lake Livingston, which is about 30 miles north of Houston.

Billingsley said that Allison could possibly drift further south with the help of a high-pressure system that is moving in from the north.

"That high is forecast to push a stationary front more to the south, which would in turn push (Allison) more to the south," Billingsley said.

Allison could possibly be pushed back out over water and could come back up again as a tropical storm over the next 24 to 36 hours.

A Flash Flood watch is in effect for all of southeast Texas through Thursday night, for the following counties: Austin, Brazos, Brazoria, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Houston, Jackson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Waller, Walker, Washington And Wharton.

More than 11 inches of rain fell in the southwest Houston area since 4 a.m. Thursday.

One of the major flooded roadways was U.S. Highway 59 near Beltway 8. High water forced several motorists to abandon their cars on the feeder road, where the water reached levels as high as the top of their car's tires.

Several colleges and schools in the southern part of Houston area canceled classes Thursday because of the flooding.

A complete list of the school closures can be found by clicking here.

Reliant HL&P Spokeswoman Leticia Lowe said that more than 4500 homes lost power in the southwest Houston area.

Lowe said that one of the major problems they experienced was getting electric crews to the scenes of the outages because of high water on the roadways.

Sims Bayou Flooding

The storm produced 4 to 5 inches of rain over the upper portions of the Sims Bayou in southwest Houston, forcing flooding above Hiram Clarke Road to below Telephone Road, near Hobby Airport.

Firefighters used rescue boats to help several people who were stranded by the rising waters along Sims Bayou. One of the victims rescued was a wheelchair-bound woman in the South Glen neighborhood.

City crews used large dump trucks to help carry dozens of people who were stranded by the high waters along the bayou.

Houston Mayor Lee Brown said that 1500 homes have been damaged from the three days of rain. He said that 80 percent of the homes received minor damage, with three inches of water or less.

City crews rescued approximately 170 people during the flooding.

Mayor Brown has not decided if he will request a declaration of disaster from the federal government.

At Hiram Clarke Road, the flood gauge at 9 a.m. Thursday measured 53.4, which is slightly over the flood stage of 53 feet. The bayou is expected to continue rising with significant flooding occurring in the vicinity of this gauge.

People who live near the bayou were urged to keep alert to rising water and take all precautions to protect their property, stay away from the water until levels recede and do not drive or walk into the flooded areas.

Shelters Opened

The Houston-area chapter of the American Red Cross has set up two evacuation shelters for storm victims.

They are open at the following locations:

Park Place Baptist Church
4101 Broadway near Park Place

Madison High School
13719 Whiteheather near W. Orem

For more information on the Red Cross shelters, click here, or call the Red Cross at (713) 526-8300 or (877) 725-0400.

The shelters include medical personnel and supplies, as well as cots for sleeping and basic necessities.

For the Jordans, the shelter is now a home away from home. They were rescued by emergency crews and taken to the shelter.

The couple has suffered numerous medical ailments. Mr. Jordan has had four knee surgeries, while his wife has had two strokes.

They both worried about evacuating from their flooded home, and now want to give their rescuers a heartfelt "thank you."

The firefighters carried Mrs. Jordan from her house, and placed her in the rescue boat.

"Oh, it was wonderful. Oh, wonderful," Mrs. Jordan said.

The Red Cross will open three Disaster Service Centers Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. to assist flood victims with emergency items, and information.

Jackson Intermediate School
1020 East Thimas
Pasadena, Texas

Friendswood Activity Center
416 Morningside
Friendswood, Texas

City of Houston Sunnyside Multi-Service Center
4605 Wilmington
Serving Southeast Houston

Flood Damage Cleanup

Tropical Storm Allison hit the Galveston coastline Tuesday, just five days into the hurricane season.

The storm whipped winds near 60mph and dumped about a foot of rain in some parts of the Houston area, which remain flooded Thursday.

One of the areas hardest hit was Friendswood, Texas, where 59 homes were damaged by floodwaters and thousands of residents were left stranded.

Several homeowners spent Wednesday cleaning up the flood mess, which for many included the tough task of removing water-soaked carpeting.

A community in Pearland, Texas, also received heavy flood damage to several homes.

The Pearland Emergency Management has set up a hotline to help residents. For more information or help, call (281) 652-1951.

The storm was downgraded to a Tropical Depression Allison Wednesday as it moved inland, but remained stationary 30 miles north of Houston in the Lake Livingston area.

The storm also flooded several roadways and feeder roads throughout the Houston area, forcing transportation officials to close several streets.

Hundreds of drivers around the Houston area were stuck in their vehicles Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as they tried to get from one point to another despite flooding roadways.

Telephone Road near Beltway 8 was one of the worst-hit areas, but despite that drivers continued trudging through the water.

Many cars have tried to make it through flooded streets, but they ended up turning around midway because the roads were impassable.

Water was more than a foot deep in some areas.