Hundreds rescued from floodwaters
DALLAS » Hundreds of people had to be rescued from floodwaters in South Texas, where rainfall has inundated communities all week.
In the border city of Mission, Mayor Armando O’Caña said about 200 water rescues had been performed, while Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Johnny Hernandez said authorities were sometimes using helicopters to get to people. O’Caña said people had been rescued from homes, cars, an adult day care center and local motels.
“We’re still conducting life-saving rescues as we speak,” O’Caña said.
The National Weather Service said some areas in far South Texas got more than 15 inches of rain over the last four days.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday issued a disaster declaration for six counties hit by flooding: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties in far South Texas and Aransas, Nueces and San Patricio counties in the Corpus Christi area. Shelters in far South Texas include three set up by the American Red Cross, which housed more than 200 people on Wednesday night, a Red Cross spokeswoman said.
McAllen — where first lady Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to a facility housing migrant children — got inundated with 7 to 10 inches in some areas on Thursday, emergency management coordinator Kevin Pagan said.
“Streets were flooded pretty much all over town,” he said.
Authorities conducted several dozen water rescues in McAllen of people afraid they wouldn’t be able to leave their flooded subdivisions and others trapped in their vehicles.