Death toll rises in Texas as floods sweep Houston
Huge sections of Houston, Texas--the fourth most populous city in the United States--are now underwater as a result of colossal flooding that continues to sweep the southern US.
At least two people were reported dead in Houston’s flooding as
of Tuesday morning, with at least 10 deaths across the region
over the weekend now being blamed on the weather, according to
NBC News.
Heavy rain and winds have complicated matters for the citizens of
the Lone Star State in recent days, and a flash flood watch
remains in effect for Houston through Tuesday afternoon. With
rain expected to fall throughout the day, the city could see
things getting worse before they get any better.
READ MORE: State of disaster declared in Texas due to severe weather conditions
On Tuesday, the Weather Channel described the situation in Harris and Fort Bend counties in the Houston metropolitan area as “extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening.”
Forty separate stretches of highway in the region have become
submerged in high waters as of Tuesday, the Weather Channel
reported, and hundreds of cars have been stranded on area roads
after being put out of action by the flood.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott had already declared a state of
disaster on Monday across 24 counties, but parts of the state saw
upwards of 10 inches of rain overnight, according to the New York
Times.
Downtown #Houston from a very flooded 288. #houstonfloodpic.twitter.com/w7mkDEZtkz
— mike mcguff (@mikemcguff) May 26, 2015
"You cannot candy coat it. It's absolutely massive," Governor Abbott said of the storm’s toll, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Now as Houston prepares for even more rain, officials have suspended rail and bus services, public school classes and local government offices, according to the Times.
.@AnniseParker confirms at least two people dead after historic #Houston area floods. #houwxpic.twitter.com/DpkLTXvdk0
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) May 26, 2015
I've never seen anything like this. Hwy 288 is a river. @FoxNews@ABC#houstonfloodpic.twitter.com/vcJhJgisNM
— Jill Barlow (@JillMBarlow) May 26, 2015
“This is the worst rain I've ever driven in in my entire life," Wesley McCully, a motorist stranded on a Texas roadway by the floods, told the Chronicle on Tuesday morning. "This is the only time I've had to pull over because it's so dangerous right now."
At some 2.1 million residents, Houston is the fourth most-populous city in the US and the largest in Texas.