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| Texas flooding: at least four dead and 12 missing in latest downpours | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| At least four people have died and a dozen more are missing after severe storms flooded roads, damaged buildings and caused bayous to burst their banks in Texas on Monday night. | At least four people have died and a dozen more are missing after severe storms flooded roads, damaged buildings and caused bayous to burst their banks in Texas on Monday night. |
| In Ciudad Acuña, just across the border in Mexico, a tornado killed at least 13 people. | In Ciudad Acuña, just across the border in Mexico, a tornado killed at least 13 people. |
| After a weekend of devastating flooding in parts of central Texas and Oklahoma, sections of the US’s fourth-biggest city resembled scenes from a disaster movie on Tuesday morning with freeways swamped and scores of cars submerged or piled up against walls as drivers and pedestrians sought shelter on higher ground. | After a weekend of devastating flooding in parts of central Texas and Oklahoma, sections of the US’s fourth-biggest city resembled scenes from a disaster movie on Tuesday morning with freeways swamped and scores of cars submerged or piled up against walls as drivers and pedestrians sought shelter on higher ground. |
| Several fatalities were reported — three in Houston and one more in Central Texas, bringing to 16 the number of people killed by the holiday weekend storms in Texas and Oklahoma. | Several fatalities were reported — three in Houston and one more in Central Texas, bringing to 16 the number of people killed by the holiday weekend storms in Texas and Oklahoma. |
| The authorities were searching for three people who fell out of a rescue boat when it struck something in the water and capsized, Houston mayor Annise Parker said at an afternoon press conference. | The authorities were searching for three people who fell out of a rescue boat when it struck something in the water and capsized, Houston mayor Annise Parker said at an afternoon press conference. |
| Parker said that the accident happened at Brays Bayou, about five miles south of downtown. Two firefighters and another adult were rescued from the boat, she said, adding that by a rough estimate, 4,000 residential properties have been damaged in the city. | Parker said that the accident happened at Brays Bayou, about five miles south of downtown. Two firefighters and another adult were rescued from the boat, she said, adding that by a rough estimate, 4,000 residential properties have been damaged in the city. |
| Flood waters in many areas receded during a dry and sunny morning but the afternoon brought dark clouds and scattered showers and the forecast is for more storms later this week. “If we can avoid any significant precipitation in the next 24-48 hours the bayous should be back in their banks,” Parker said. | Flood waters in many areas receded during a dry and sunny morning but the afternoon brought dark clouds and scattered showers and the forecast is for more storms later this week. “If we can avoid any significant precipitation in the next 24-48 hours the bayous should be back in their banks,” Parker said. |
| “This has been a brief, intense, really devastating storm for many of our neighbours, not the entire city. It’s important to recognise that a lot of the city is functioning as it always does but where it’s hit it’s devastating.” | “This has been a brief, intense, really devastating storm for many of our neighbours, not the entire city. It’s important to recognise that a lot of the city is functioning as it always does but where it’s hit it’s devastating.” |
| Related: Texas flash floods cause death and destruction - in pictures | Related: Texas flash floods cause death and destruction - in pictures |
| Related: Texas storms: flooding had 'tsunami-type power', says governor | Related: Texas storms: flooding had 'tsunami-type power', says governor |
| Monday’s storms followed on from a tornado which struck on Sunday, severely damaging an apartment complex in Houston. Two people were hospitalized after the building partially collapsed. | Monday’s storms followed on from a tornado which struck on Sunday, severely damaging an apartment complex in Houston. Two people were hospitalized after the building partially collapsed. |
| Many Houston schools were closed. CenterPoint Energy reported multiple electricity outages affecting about 55,000 customers. | Many Houston schools were closed. CenterPoint Energy reported multiple electricity outages affecting about 55,000 customers. |
| The respite may only be temporary however: the forecast calls for more storms in the region this week, potentially heaping more rain on already-sodden ground. | The respite may only be temporary however: the forecast calls for more storms in the region this week, potentially heaping more rain on already-sodden ground. |
| After the Houston Rockets’ NBA conference final game against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, the team displayed a message on its big screens recommending that fans shelter at the Toyota Center arena rather than risk driving home during the storms. About 100 people were still in the arena on Tuesday morning, local news reported. | After the Houston Rockets’ NBA conference final game against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, the team displayed a message on its big screens recommending that fans shelter at the Toyota Center arena rather than risk driving home during the storms. About 100 people were still in the arena on Tuesday morning, local news reported. |
| The storms also produced strong winds and hail in what was some of the worst weather to hit the region since Hurricane Ike in 2008. Data from the Harris County Flood Warning System, which covers Houston, showed rainfall in excess of 10in in some areas, most of which fell in the space of a couple hours on Monday night as storms moved east from central Texas. | The storms also produced strong winds and hail in what was some of the worst weather to hit the region since Hurricane Ike in 2008. Data from the Harris County Flood Warning System, which covers Houston, showed rainfall in excess of 10in in some areas, most of which fell in the space of a couple hours on Monday night as storms moved east from central Texas. |
| That part of the state had already been severely affected over the weekend by flash floods, which Texas governor Greg Abbott described as having “relentless, tsunami-type power”. | That part of the state had already been severely affected over the weekend by flash floods, which Texas governor Greg Abbott described as having “relentless, tsunami-type power”. |
| Abbott has declared 37 counties as disaster areas. Downtown Austin saw flooding, and dozens of people required rescuing by emergency services in the Austin area. | Abbott has declared 37 counties as disaster areas. Downtown Austin saw flooding, and dozens of people required rescuing by emergency services in the Austin area. |
| But the most severe damage was in the small tourist town of Wimberley, part of Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. | But the most severe damage was in the small tourist town of Wimberley, part of Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. |
| “You cannot candy-coat it. It’s absolutely massive,” Abbott said after touring the destruction. | “You cannot candy-coat it. It’s absolutely massive,” Abbott said after touring the destruction. |
| At least eight people from two families were reported missing in Wimberley, after the swollen Blanco river took a holiday home off its foundations and slammed it into a bridge. The river, considered to be at flood level at 13ft, rose to 40ft. | At least eight people from two families were reported missing in Wimberley, after the swollen Blanco river took a holiday home off its foundations and slammed it into a bridge. The river, considered to be at flood level at 13ft, rose to 40ft. |
| Julie Shields was on the phone with her sister, Laura, when the holiday home cabin was swept away, she told a local Texas news station. | Julie Shields was on the phone with her sister, Laura, when the holiday home cabin was swept away, she told a local Texas news station. |
| “We are floating in a house that is now floating down the river,” Laura told Shields on the phone. “Call mom and dad. I love you, and pray.” | “We are floating in a house that is now floating down the river,” Laura told Shields on the phone. “Call mom and dad. I love you, and pray.” |
| In Oklahoma, many major roads were closed in Oklahoma on Tuesday morning after the series of thunderstorms and tornadoes caused injuries and destroyed homes. | In Oklahoma, many major roads were closed in Oklahoma on Tuesday morning after the series of thunderstorms and tornadoes caused injuries and destroyed homes. |
| One of the dead in Texas, Alyssa Ramirez, was a homecoming queen driving home from prom in San Antonio. The 18-year-old’s car stalled and was swept away by floodwater a couple of miles from her house, News 4 San Antonio reported. “She did the right things,” said her aunt, Roberta Ramirez. “She called 911. She called her father, but it was just too much and too quick.” | One of the dead in Texas, Alyssa Ramirez, was a homecoming queen driving home from prom in San Antonio. The 18-year-old’s car stalled and was swept away by floodwater a couple of miles from her house, News 4 San Antonio reported. “She did the right things,” said her aunt, Roberta Ramirez. “She called 911. She called her father, but it was just too much and too quick.” |
| One man, who lived in a mobile home in Milam County, near Austin, was killed by a tornado on Monday afternoon, officials said. There were a handful of injuries. | One man, who lived in a mobile home in Milam County, near Austin, was killed by a tornado on Monday afternoon, officials said. There were a handful of injuries. |
| Mickey White, a local resident, said the tornado lifted up his house. “It actually picked the house up and moved the house over about four foot. It’s off the blocks and four foot over. You can kind of feel the house shaking,” he told KTWX news. | Mickey White, a local resident, said the tornado lifted up his house. “It actually picked the house up and moved the house over about four foot. It’s off the blocks and four foot over. You can kind of feel the house shaking,” he told KTWX news. |
| Parker said that about four hours of torrential overnight rain fell on ground that was saturated by heavy rainfall in recent weeks, causing localized street flooding. “We’re the Bayou City. The defining feature of Houston is the small rivers than run through the city and many of them went over their banks and began to flood neighborhoods,” she said. | Parker said that about four hours of torrential overnight rain fell on ground that was saturated by heavy rainfall in recent weeks, causing localized street flooding. “We’re the Bayou City. The defining feature of Houston is the small rivers than run through the city and many of them went over their banks and began to flood neighborhoods,” she said. |
| “We had a lot of folks who had to abandon cars, we had a lot of high water rescues from vehicles ... There are a lot of homes along Brays bayou that are substantially under water.” | “We had a lot of folks who had to abandon cars, we had a lot of high water rescues from vehicles ... There are a lot of homes along Brays bayou that are substantially under water.” |
| A Houston fire department spokesman said that they had responded to 968 incidents since midnight, of which 531 were water-related rescues. The water was so deep in some parts of the city that rescues were undertaken by boat. | A Houston fire department spokesman said that they had responded to 968 incidents since midnight, of which 531 were water-related rescues. The water was so deep in some parts of the city that rescues were undertaken by boat. |
| The tornado that ripped through Ciudad Acuña in Mexico, just over the border from Del Río, Texas, killed at least 13 people, including a baby and two toddlers. Another baby, who was inside a car when the twister hit at around 6am Monday, was still missing on Tuesday morning. Monday’s tornado was reportedly the most potent to strike Mexico in the last 15 years. | The tornado that ripped through Ciudad Acuña in Mexico, just over the border from Del Río, Texas, killed at least 13 people, including a baby and two toddlers. Another baby, who was inside a car when the twister hit at around 6am Monday, was still missing on Tuesday morning. Monday’s tornado was reportedly the most potent to strike Mexico in the last 15 years. |
| The head of the country’s disaster services, Luis Felipe Puente, told Televisa TV that 34 people were still in hospital, though none were in life-threatening condition. Puente added that around 60 vehicles were thrown around during the six seconds the tornado took to rip through a working class district of Ciudad Acuña, which caused the lion’s share of the damage to 750 homes. The twister, with gusts of up to 136mph, also pulled up electricity posts and blew off some roofs. | The head of the country’s disaster services, Luis Felipe Puente, told Televisa TV that 34 people were still in hospital, though none were in life-threatening condition. Puente added that around 60 vehicles were thrown around during the six seconds the tornado took to rip through a working class district of Ciudad Acuña, which caused the lion’s share of the damage to 750 homes. The twister, with gusts of up to 136mph, also pulled up electricity posts and blew off some roofs. |
| Beatriz García said she immediately grabbed her children from their bedroom and took shelter in the bathroom when the tornado struck. | Beatriz García said she immediately grabbed her children from their bedroom and took shelter in the bathroom when the tornado struck. |
| “The furniture was flying around like pieces of paper,” Garcia told La Jornada newspaper. “The doors, the beds, the fridge, everything was flying inside the house.” | “The furniture was flying around like pieces of paper,” Garcia told La Jornada newspaper. “The doors, the beds, the fridge, everything was flying inside the house.” |
| President Enrique Peña Nieto walked around the disaster area on Monday night and promised the tornado’s victims that they would receive government help. | President Enrique Peña Nieto walked around the disaster area on Monday night and promised the tornado’s victims that they would receive government help. |
| The president spent the night in the area and went on another walkabout to supervise the clean-up operation on Tuesday morning. | The president spent the night in the area and went on another walkabout to supervise the clean-up operation on Tuesday morning. |
| Mexican authorities warned that further tornados could form in the north of Coahuila in coming days, as warm humid air coming from the Gulf of Mexico meets a cold front from the US. | Mexican authorities warned that further tornados could form in the north of Coahuila in coming days, as warm humid air coming from the Gulf of Mexico meets a cold front from the US. |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report. | The Associated Press contributed to this report. |