Posted on 06/27/2007 2:52:48 PM PDT by Graybeard58
AUSTIN, Texas Heavy rains and high winds belted parts of the state early Tuesday, causing flooding, forcing street closures and damaging houses and other structures.
Three women were killed Monday when the sport utility vehicle they were in slammed into a dump truck, officials said. Weather was a factor, authorities said.
Larry Hathorn, the husband of one of the women, Debbie Picha, 52, said he was speaking to his wife by phone when the accident occurred.
"Debbie and I were talking when suddenly she said, 'Oh, my God!' four times. Then the phone went dead," he told the Austin American-Statesman in a story published Tuesday.
Authorities rescued a man stranded atop his minivan Monday in western Texas as raging floodwaters threatened to consume him. A woman died Sunday when a gust of wind caused the motorcycle she was a passenger on to hit a guardrail, police said. The motorcycle driver survived.
In northern Texas, a severe storm blew a home from its foundation, ripped the roof off at least one house and caused damage to two other homes, a Wise County dispatcher said. No injuries were reported. Officials closed roads in two counties to protect motorists from high waters.
In Real County, about 80 miles northwest of San Antonio, officials were notifying campgrounds and homes along the Frio River of rising waters and possibly dangerous conditions, a county dispatcher said.
Sustained rainfall over the last month has left the ground saturated, and parts of northern, central and eastern Texas are at high risks of flash flooding, according to the state's emergency operations center.
Gov. Rick Perry has ordered search and rescue teams to be at a high state of readiness to provide rapid responses when necessary, according to a state emergency situation report.
The severe weather shows no sign of letting up, according to the National Weather Service.
Streams overflowed in many parts of Oklahoma on Tuesday, blocking roads and flooding several homes and businesses.
In Oklahoma City, teenage sisters had to be rescued Tuesday from a car stalled in bumper-deep water rushing over a flooded road in a residential area. Twins Lauren and Lindsey Penn were both in good condition.
said Fire Department spokesman Tony Young
This time last year we were fighting wildfires, my county declared a disaster area then because of drought, a disaster area now because of floods this past week.
My fences are gone, terraces damaged, hay and wheat crop ruined.
And I thank God for the rain.
We had nearly 10 inches of rain last night and there’s more expected tonight. The road out of the subdivision was flooded with 12 feet of water this morning so we were hemmed in. It’s tricky, but we can get out at the moment. We’re on relatively high ground so think we’ll be ok as long as they keep the dam gates opened downstream.
Water and helicopter rescues were going on all night. One LE said he saw someone being swept past him and he suspects the worst. Another man drowned but was recusitated and was flown out. A grandmother and grandchild were swept away in a trailerhouse. Buildings were struck by lightening and burned because firemen couldn’t get through the water to them. Payless and Walmart’s windows were busted out from the flooding.
Years and years of free rent and other “entitlements”. Loot everything in sight.
Oh, wait. This isn’t Katrina/New Orleans is it?
Prayers with those affected by this.
We couldn’t get a drop in East Texas last year. This year we already have nearly 38 inches of rain which is about 12 inches more than all of last year. Trees are literally washing out of the ground.
You bring up a good point. Here in Central Texas, we haven’t seen widespread looting, murder and mayhem, gee, what a concept.
Even after football games we never seem to burn things and turn over cars. I don’t know what is wrong with us.
What part of East Texas?
Its been raining for months it seems. Heck its raining now.
Its been raing all week and will for the week to come.
Real Texans are always thankful for rain.
Monsoon season has been much longer this year than is normally the case, but I fully expect a couple of months of hot and dry to even things out a bit.
Are you zotting me?
And I thank God for the rain.
You're a farmer, ain't ya?
Felt the same when the north pecan orchard got flooded back in '89...
It takes a few gray hairs and some living to put this weather in perspective.
About every quarter century we suffer bad drought (Dust Bowl, the mid 50s, that awful summer of 1980, and the past decade 1996-2006). And flooding seems to follow, sort of putting a period to the drought.
The 50s drought ended with all-summer rain in 1957, one of the wettest on record. I think that was the year Lake Texoma filled ahead of expectations.
The summer of 1980 was brutal, that string of 40+ consecutive days over 100 degrees. It abated in September with a 10-inch rain that soaked in, no runoff. But then we had big floods the fall of ‘81, worst in my neck of the woods till last week.
Last year was horrifying. Stock tanks all dry, no grass whatsoever, even the prickly pears shriveled. It was risky just to drive the pickup over parched pasture for fear of starting fire.
And here we are, abundant grass, stock tanks overflowing, nature replenishing the water table and springs, maybe even saving some of the Spring Creek pecan orchard that took such a hit last summer.
Our weather runs in cycles, and all we can do is be thankful for the good years and look for silver linings.
I vowed last summer to never again complain when it rains, and I keep my promises.
Texas author. You'd like it.
Palestine
Elmer Kelton. I suspect he knew me when I was a small child. He lived at my Grandmother’s boarding house for University of Texas students on West 22nd. I was too young to remember him.
Yep, I’ve read it, and Kelton’s seen it.
Gotcha on that one Okie01, love that book. His autobiography is a good read too. Kelton is a true son of the soil, Texas, that is...but my in-laws are S. Central OK and SE OK, hoo-boy, some real folks there too...
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