Rainfall forces delays at Houston airport

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Flights into George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, were delayed for four hours Sunday, a day after heavy rains led authorities to evacuate one of the airport's radar rooms, an airport spokesman said.

Saturday's downpour of nearly 5.5 inches of rain flooded the airport's terminal radar approach control center, causing it to be evacuated, said spokesman Ernest DeSoto.

The control center, which is housed in the airport's 30-year-old tower, handles flights five miles to 50 miles from the airport. Officials were transferring its services to another radar installation at the airport, DeSoto said.

A number of flights were canceled, he said. Continental Airlines, which represents about 80 percent of the airport's traffic, was hit particularly hard, DeSoto said. Some flights were diverted to Hobby Airport about 40 miles away.

Continental did not immediately return a call.

Authorities said they were hoping to transfer operations back to the control center by midafternoon.