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Business News/ News / World/  Heavy rains pound Texas in Hurricane Patricia’s wake, flash floods hit Houston
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Heavy rains pound Texas in Hurricane Patricia’s wake, flash floods hit Houston

The rain systems were intensified by Patricia, which was downgraded to a tropical depression after crashing into Mexico's west coast

The rain-swollen Trinity River is seen with the city skyline in the background on 24 October in Dallas. Photo: APPremium
The rain-swollen Trinity River is seen with the city skyline in the background on 24 October in Dallas. Photo: AP

Houston: Heavy rains fuelled by the meeting of two storm systems, one the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, pounded southeastern Texas, triggering flash floods and derailing a freight train as the heavy weather descended upon Houston early on Sunday.

The National Weather Service predicted 6 to 12 inches of rain for coastal areas, including southwest Louisiana, by Monday morning, exacerbated by tides up to five feet (1.5 meter) and wind gusts up to 35 mph.

The rain systems were intensified by Patricia, which was downgraded to a tropical depression after crashing into Mexico’s west coast as a powerful hurricane.

As the storms moved eastward early on Sunday, cities in the state’s flood-prone Gulf of Mexico region braced for the impact. They include Houston, the state’s second-most populous metropolitan area with 6.1 million people.

Mayor Annise Parker warned residents to stay away from wet roads after dark and be aware of flash floods, which the National Weather Service said were occurring in the city early on Sunday. No one was reported hurt, but several motorists were stranded.

Flash flood warnings were in place until 4am Central Daylight time for eight southeastern Texas counties. Among them are Harris County, which includes Houston, and Galveston County. Some areas could get more than a foot of additional rain.

Officials urged vigilance, reminding residents of deadly past flooding. A series of storms in May triggered floods and led to 21 deaths.

“Some people lost their lives in high-water incidents," said Harris county judge Ed Emmett, whose county includes Houston. “We’re going to get a lot of rain tonight and it’s going to result in some high-water situations, so for heaven’s sake be careful."

In Galveston, authorities urged voluntary evacuation of the elderly and residents with medical issues on the Bolivar Peninsula near Galveston Bay. The storms could hinder transportation to and from the peninsula. Power outages are also possible as a result of gale force winds, authorities said.

Navarro County, about 80km south of Dallas, was one of the hardest-hit areas. The tiny town of Powell got 20 inches of rain over 30 hours, according to meteorologist Brett Rathbun of Accuweather.

A flash flood swept a Union Pacific freight train off the tracks, pushing locomotives and some rail cars on their sides. No injuries were reported.

Authorities requested sandbags for evacuated homes and Interstate 45 was shut down in some spots in Navarro by rising water, which reached one foot on the roadway in Richland.

Some 80 water rescues from vehicles, homes and businesses had been carried out in Navarro County since Friday, Sheriff Elmer Tanner said.

There were no confirmed deaths from the deluge, but in San Antonio, a woman reported that her boyfriend was swept into a drainage ditch as he walked his dog early Saturday. Officials said he was considered missing.

Saturday’s rainfall led to the cancellation of about 100 flights at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, one of the country’s busiest air hubs, according to tracking service FlightAware.

Retailers reported that locals made a run on supplies in anticipation of floods. Reuters

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Published: 25 Oct 2015, 02:13 PM IST
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