Obama signs disaster declaration over Texas storms – death toll 24

A woman walks in the flood waters in southwest Houston, Texas May 26, 2015. (Reuters/Daniel Kramer)

A woman walks in the flood waters in southwest Houston, Texas May 26, 2015. (Reuters/Daniel Kramer)

A record-setting rainfall that caused massive flooding has triggered the US President Barack Obama to sign a disaster declaration for areas in Texas affected by severe weather that killed at least 24 people and prompted mass evacuations.

Barack Obama’s federal aid, signed late on Friday, makes federal
funding available to sufferers in Harris, Hays, and Van Zandt
counties in Texas to rebuild their communities’ damaged
infrastructure and homes. Other counties could be reportedly
added to the request later.

The National Weather Service said that there’s a 70-percent
chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the Houston area from
Saturday afternoon into Sunday.

City spokeswoman Sana Syed has posted a map on Twitter of the
most vulnerable areas in Dallas. According to the National
Weather Service, some areas of North Texas saw up to seven inches
(17.8 cm) of rain on Friday, with hundreds of residents calling
for help.

One Dallas-area police officer had to be plucked to safety by a
helicopter after his SUV got trapped in rushing floodwaters.

One person was found dead in Dallas’ eastern suburb, Mesquite,
after his pickup truck was submerged in floodwaters, TV station
WFAA reported. The victim has not been identified.

On Friday, authorities identified the body of a 6-year-old boy
who was in a vacation home in Wimberley that was swept away by
rushing waters.

The home was knocked off its foundation and carried down the
swollen Blanco River. The boy’s mother and his 4-year-old sister
are still missing.

Thousands of cars were trapped for as long as six hours on a
suburban freeway near Dallas on Friday, blocked by floodwaters.
The Red Cross distributed cookies and water to stranded
motorists, and opened a shelter for area residents impacted by
the flood in Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas.

“I feel like I am on an island and nobody cares,”
Vanessa Paterson, who was on the highway with her 6-month-old
son, told TV station WFAA.

Authorities have identified five of the six bodies found in Hays
County. Six people are still listed as missing there, according
to AP.

“Communities across the State of Texas have experienced
devastating destruction, injury and – most tragically – loss of
life due to the major and unceasing severe weather system that
has been impacting our state for weeks,”
Governor Greg
Abbott, who has declared 70 counties disaster areas, stated.

Rivers and lakes around Houston, San Antonio and Dallas have
swelled, and meteorologists are predicting more rain this
weekend. In the worst case scenario the Colorado River at
Wharton, Texas, could crest on Saturday, causing major flooding
in the community 60 miles (about 100 km) southwest of Houston. No
estimate has yet been provided for the damage in Texas, which
boasts an economy worth $1.4 trillion a year.

Dallas officials advised people to go home early, promising:
“This would be a great night to stay home, watch a movie and
cook some popcorn,”
Dallas Police Deputy Chief Scott Walton
told a news conference, Reuters reported.

The mayor of Wharton has issued an evacuation order for up to 900
people living near the Colorado River, which started flooding
into the city earlier this week.

The city of Rosenberg also ordered about 150 residents living
near the Brazos River to evacuate by late Friday, AP reported.
Authorities said residents would not be allowed to return to
their homes until the affected area is declared safe.

Source Article from http://rt.com/usa/263485-texas-storms-kills-evacuations/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

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