The storm system moved on toward the northeast on Sunday, leaving behind devastation and death in its wake. But the National Weather Service says the rain-drenched region is not out of the woods yet as more rain is expected in the coming weeks.
Near Houston, Texas, residents saw high winds and rain that damaged rooftops and blew out windows. Two residents in an apartment complex were injured. The Houston Fire Department said in a press release that strong winds damaged at least 50 apartments at one complex.
In Claremore, in northeast Oklahoma, a firefighter died after being swept away by raging floodwaters while attempting a rescue, according to Rogers County Emergency Management spokesman Thomas Hudson. People in Comanche and Cleveland counties had to be rescued from their attics and rooftops on Saturday, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
River overflows and breaches its banks
The Blanco River in Central Texas, as well as other swollen waterways, breached its banks on Sunday, cresting above 40-feet, more than twice the flood stage of 13-feet. The high water forced the closing of Interstate 35, a busy north-south artery.
Rescue personnel are using pontoon boats and a helicopter to rescue stranded victims. The dam on Lake Lewis, about 50 miles north of Houston is in danger of breaking, and a mandatory evacuation order is in place. Another two to three inches of rain is expected on Sunday.
