Two Killed as Texas Braces for Record Rainfall

Torrential rains have killed two people in Texas after floodwaters swept them away in their vehicles, while the state braces for record rainfall over the next 24 hours.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state was facing “record-shattering rainfall” and warned of dangerous flooding.

The National Weather Service reported that 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) of rain had fallen across parts of the Texas Hill Country over the previous two days.

Emergency responders have carried out 230 rescues, including one in which a man and his dog were plucked from a flooded truck by helicopter.

Texas has deployed 2,350 emergency responders and 1,400 pieces of equipment, including Black Hawk helicopters and swiftwater rescue boats. Officials are seeking to avoid a repeat of last year’s disaster, when flooding in the same region killed at least 135 people, including 27 campers and counselors at a summer camp on the Guadalupe River.

Abbott urged residents to stay off the roads until the storms subside, which is expected late on Friday. Around 125 sections of road across the state have been affected, with 87 closed.

Uvalde and Johnson City were among the areas of greatest concern.

The Nueces River near Uvalde was forecast to exceed its 1996 record crest, while the Frio and Pedernales rivers were expected to reach some of their highest levels on record.

(Reuters, Max)