Flash Floods Kill At Least 19 In Texas And Oklahoma, Death Toll Still Rising
Devastating flash floods across Texas and Oklahoma have led to the discovery of even more bodies among the rubble. With a third body located near the Blanco River in Texas yesterday, that brings the death toll to 19 — and it’s still climbing.
According to NBC News, weekend long rainstorms have brought chaos to both Oklahoma and Texas, piling on unmanageable amounts of water. A previous report from the Inquisitr covered the many people who went missing during the Texas flood, and fourteen total are still unaccounted for. And nearly 20 people have lost their lives to the “wall of water” that hit Texas over the past few days.
“Given the magnitude and how quickly it happened, in such a short period of time, I’ve never seen this before,” said the emergency management coordinator of Houston, Rick Flanagan.
The National Weather Service reported that even more rain could be on the way, escalating the Texas flood to record levels. The disaster has garnered national attention, resulting in a response from President Barack Obama, who promised to provide as much aid to Texas as he can.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and the communities that have been affected by some of these devastating, record-breaking floods.”
According to ABC News, several of the deaths caused by the Texas flood are the result of drivers being caught in rivers of rainwater, including one person found drowned inside their vehicle and another who died of a heart attack while attempting to push a car out of the water. One of the latest Texas victims was a man found dead near a submerged vehicle.
More than 500 of the rescues performed by firefighters have been motorists stranded in their vehicles or on the flooded roads. Roughly 2,500 cars have been abandoned by drivers fleeing the flood to higher ground.
You can see the aftermath of the flood waters on the Texas landscape in the photos below.
Two whole Texas families are still missing after the flood completely destroyed a vacation home. And if the flood in Texas wasn’t bad enough, a tornado touched down in Oklahoma on Monday, killing a 48-year-old woman.
Yahoo News reported that, despite the magnitude of the Texas flood, people are trying their best to live their lives normally. The city of Houston issued a statement advising people to be cautious when commuting to work.
However, more than 200 flights to and from Texas have been canceled as a result of the flash flood. And the long term damage done to one of the nation’s biggest economic powerhouse states has not yet been assessed. Texas alone is the United States’ main source of energy, agriculture, and manufacturing within the country. The lasting effects of the flood could impact the rest of the nation.
For more on the Texas flood, read about the drone that found several survivors while scanning the Texas landscape.
[Image credit: Getty]
