Sat 06 Jul
Central Texas Flooding
After Four Days of Thunder

WASHINGTON - Heavy rains that fell virtually non-stop in parts of central Texas this week have caused the Guadeloupe Blanco River to overflow, resulting in several deaths, mass evacuations and widespread property damage. Authorities said at least nine people were confirmed dead and thousands had been evacuated from the Central Texas region in the last two days, while many homes were immersed in water up to their rooflines.

San Antonio has been inundated with up to 40 inches 350mm of rain in the past week, about seven times more than the July average of 50mm. The flooding occurred after Canyon Dam, swelling with rain after four days of thunderstorms, poured torrents of water over its spillway. One home, a wood-frame house built on eight-foot (2.4 meter) stilts washed away Friday morning, resembling a houseboat as it floated downriver. The rainfall comes after several weeks of drought in the region.

President George W. Bush on Thursday declared several counties in the region to be disaster areas, making them eligible for federal relief funds. On Thursday and Friday, officials ordered about 200 to 300 homes along the Guadalupe to be evacuated.