One killed, several missing in Texas flooding

WASHINGTON, United States – At least one man was killed in record-setting flash flooding in Texas that also left several people missing and destroyed homes Sunday, authorities said, warning of more wild weather to come.

Residents of hard-hit San Marcos city were ordered to evacuate their homes in the early morning as the flood waters rose menacingly around them, following torrential rain that turned normally bone-dry streets into meandering rivers.

Cars and trucks were submerged and people used inflatable lounge chairs to float down the street, in surreal scenes.

The city, which canceled Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony, said it had opened temporary shelters to host 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 city said in a statement.

It noted that the fast-rising Blanco River had broken record levels set in the 1920s.

Crews were searching for several missing people and a curfew was to be enforced in San Marcos from 9:00 pm Sunday (0200 GMT Monday) to 7:00 am Monday in an effort to avoid more fatalities.

On Twitter, the city said it had not yet identified the man who died in the flooding.

Three people were missing in the San Marcos area, CNN reported.

The National Weather Service warned that strong to severe thunderstorms were expected across a large stretch of the central and southern plains toward the Mississippi River Valley.

“Isolated tornadoes, hail and damaging winds are all possible,” it added, noting that flash flooding was also forecast from central Iowa into southern Texas, set to get the brunt of the downpours.