Rescuers save Texans from raging waters as flooding surges in Lone Star State
UVALDE, Texas — Dangerous flooding in Texas has intensified after days of pounding rain, sending emergency crews scrambling to rescue people from the rising waters before sunrise Thursday and setting off urgent warnings from forecasters: “Move to higher ground now!”The National Weather Service in San Antonio said a “large and deadly flood wave” was barreling down the same river devastated by floods a year ago when two dozen children and counselors were killed at Camp Mystic.There was no immediate word of any deaths or injuries from the flooding.Several tornado warnings were also issued.The storms threatened multiple counties close to the border with Mexico and in the Texas Hill Country near San Antonio.
City officials in Kerrville urged people to shelter at the highest levels of their homes.Floodwaters overran the city of Uvalde overnight into Thursday, cutting off access to surrounding areas.“There’s no way into the city at this point in time.Rescues have been happening overnight,” Juli Alvarado, a spokesperson for Uvalde police, said Thursday morning.
Multiple people trapped in vehicles were being rescued, she said.“The good thing is they’re communicating with our emergency dispatch center and we’re getting crews to them quickly,” she said.Uvalde officials were deploying boats for rescue operations and planned to fly helicopters after daybreak, Alvarado said.Texas Game Wardens have participated in rescues of more than 40 people so far from the flooding, mostly in the Uvalde County area, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson.The weather service said 10 to 20 inches of rain (25 to 50 centimeters) had fallen in the past two days, with 8 inches (20 centimeters) in just two hours early Thursday.Forecasters had warned that already dangerous conditions were likely to worsen in some hard-hit communities.
The deluge dumped nearly a foot of rain in some counties and put people in multiple counties under flood watche...