Five die as ‘ historic rainfall’ swamps Houston region

Drenching rain, which brought flash floods to much of eastern and southern Texas on Sunday and Monday, deluged Houston, killing five and leading to scores of water rescues.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said two people died in a vehicle that ignored barricades at a freeway underpass. He said traffic cameras recorded the vehicle going around the blockade and head into the water. The vehicle didn’t make it through.

Two deaths reported earlier Monday included one man found inside a truck that that drove into high water on a free- way service road.

Harris County Precinct Sgt. Herbert Martinez says crews monitoring the high water on the road saw the man in the 18wheeler truck drive directly into the water. He says it’s possible the driver may have suffered a medical emergency.

Another man, identified only as a contractor working for the city’s airport system, also was found dead in a submerged vehicle not far from Houston Intercontinental Airport.

In Waller County, west of Houston, the Royal Independent School District confirmed Monday evening that teacher Charles Odum died in rising floodwaters.

Monday was one of the rainiest single days ever recorded in Houston: nearly 10 inches of rain reported at the city’s official weather observing location at the airport as of midafternoon.

Hundreds of homes and many major roads were flooded, forcing schools, governments and businesses to close and causing power outages for thousands.

Nearly 900 water rescues were performed in the city of Houston alone, and 1,222 total in the metro area, Harris County officials said.

The National Weather Service called it a “historic rainfall event” for the region.

Shelters were opened throughout the region, AccuWeather reported.

The weather service issued flood watches and warnings for parts of North, Central and South Texas on Monday. Many areas could see 3 to 8 inches of rain; isolated pockets could get even more.