7 States at Risk from Historic Flooding -Dozen or More Feared Dead as 80,000 Without Power in Texas Alone + Video

WND

Historic rains have flooded tens of thousands of acres of Texas, leaving more than 80,000 people without power in the Houston area, Interstates 10 and 45 closed, at least eight dead and another dozen people missing.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster area covering 27 counties, but regions of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi also reported problems on the Memorial Day holiday on Monday.

The worst appeared to be in Texas and Oklahoma, according to the Washington Post, which noted the National Weather Service was describing the flooding as “catastrophic.”

The intense rainstorms, sometimes accompanied by tornadoes, left nearly a foot of rain rushing down previously dry channels and across the plains. Wimberly, Texas, officials said more than 350 homes were washed away as the Blanco River “swelled more than 30 feet there within three hours Sunday.”

Helicopters and boats were being used to reach stranded residents, and more than 1,000 were evacuated.

“A longtime Oklahoma firefighter was swept away and killed Saturday night in Claremore, a small town outside of Tulsa, while helping save trapped families gathered for a girl’s fifth birthday party,” the Post said.

The report said 12 people were reported missing Monday after two families took shelter at one of the Wimberley homes that was destroyed.

NBC said more flooding was forecast heading into the work week, with watches and warnings across seven states early Tuesday.

The region of violent weather was expected to impact up to 30 million Americans, as the weather system dropped some 11 inches of rain in southwestern Harris County in the Houston area and was forecast to expand.

NBC said a record 4.34 inches of rain fell in one day at Houston Intercontinental Airport.

“The rain just kept coming, and coming, and coming,” Ashley Aivles told NBC. She lives in a Houston suburb.

“I lived here during Hurricane Ike (2008) and this was a close second. We’ve had really bad rain in the past but this was something else,” she said.

People were stranded at shopping malls with “no way out,” and several hundred “remained trapped inside [Houston's] Toyota Center … having watched the Houston Rockets’ playoff win over the Golden State Warriors.”

Read more & view video at WND:

http://www.wnd.com/2015/05/7-states-at-risk-from-historic-flooding/