Massive flash flooding caused by record rainfall in Oklahoma and Texas has swept away hundreds of homes, forced over 2,000 people to flee and left at least two people dead.
Around 350 homes in the town of Wimberley, Texas, were washed away by floods along the Blanco River, which rose 26ft (8m) in just one hour, authorities said.
Describing the scene, Hays County emergency management coordinator Kharley Smith said: "We do have whole streets with maybe one or two houses left on them and the rest are just slabs. It looks pretty bad out there."
In the nearby city of San Marcos, people were ordered to evacuate their homes on Sunday morning as flood waters rose quickly around them and turned normally bone-dry streets into meandering rivers.
Several cars and trucks were submerged, and some people used inflatable lounge chairs to float down the street, in surreal scenes.
The city, which has cancelled Monday's Memorial Day ceremony, said it had opened temporary shelters for residents who could not return home.
"Evacuation messages have gone out via reverse 911 and police officers and firefighters are going door-to-door to notify residents in affected areas," the authorities said in a statement.
Crews were searching for several missing people in the city and a curfew was enforced in an effort to avoid fatalities.
In Claremore, Oklahoma, firefighter Jason Farley died when he was swept away while trying to rescue 10 people in high water.
The body of another man was recovered from a flooded area along the Blanco River, authorities said.
No comments:
Post a Comment