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Firefighter swept to his death as flooding hits Oklahoma and Texas Firefighter swept to his death as floods hit Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado
(about 2 hours later)
Authorities in north-east Oklahoma said a firefighter for the city of Claremore died on Sunday, after being swept away by floodwaters while assisting in a water rescue from a house. Up to 10in of rain fell over 24 hours in parts of Texas, prompting numerous evacuations and rescues overnight and into Sunday. In Oklahoma, a 20-year veteran firefighter died after being swept away in floodwaters.
Some parts of Texas, meanwhile, saw up to 10 inches of rain in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, causing flooding that continued to overwhelm communities. In Houston, high winds damaged rooftops, blew out windows and blew over trees at an apartment complex. Two people were injured. The storm system that moved across central and north Texas and most of Oklahoma pushed north-east on Sunday, bringing a threat of flooding to some western Arkansas counties, which could see as much as 3in of rain. And the region was not out of the woods, with the National Weather Service (NWS) saying there would be more rainfall in the coming week.
Thomas Hudson, a spokesman for Rogers County emergency management, said the Claremore firefighter died early on Sunday morning. The man was standing in some water during a rescue, lost his footing and was swept away. His name was not immediately released. In north-east Oklahoma, Captain Jason Farley was helping rescue about 10 people trapped in duplexes at about 11.30pm on Saturday when he was swept into a drainage ditch, Claremore’s fire chief, Sean Douglas, said. The body of Farley, who had been a firefighter for 20 years, was recovered an hour and a half later.
The Oklahoma flooding is due to days of heavy rain throughout the state, especially in the south-west part, as well as Oklahoma City and Norman. Hudson said the Claremore area was expecting more rain on Sunday. About 1,000 people were evacuated in central Texas communities, which saw dozens of high-water rescues overnight as the Blanco River and other waterways breached their banks. The river – which crested Sunday above 40ft, more than double the flood stage of 13ft – swamped sections of Interstate 35, forcing parts of the busy north-south highway to close.
Houston fire officials initially said a possible tornado had struck the complex at about 6.30am on Sunday, but later said in a news release that the damage was caused by “severe weather”. Rescue personnel used pontoon boats and a helicopter to evacuate people overnight as floodwaters quickly surrounded their homes, said 62-year-old San Marcos resident Rudy Olivo. Water came to the top of the steps leading to his home. Other homes in his neighbourhood were flooded and many roads in the area were underwater.
Authorities said about 10 apartments were heavily damaged and 40 others sustained some. The two injured residents were taken to a hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. Emergency crews searched the complex for people trapped inside but it is believed residents made it out once severe weather passed. Olivo, who has lived in the area for more than 50 years, said he had never witnessed such severe storms.
Dozens of high-water rescues in central Texas were reported overnight as the Blanco river and other waterways breached their banks. Residents continued to flee their homes. “This is the worst I’ve seen it because the water rose so fast,” he said.
The Blanco river swamped sections of Interstate 35, forcing parts of the busy north-south highway to close. The National Weather Service (NWS) said the river crested on Sunday at more than 40ft; its flood stage is 13ft. Five San Marcos police cars were washed away and a fire station was flooded, city spokeswoman Kristi Wyatt said. The city was imposing a curfew starting at 9pm on Sunday.
The NWS issued flash flood warnings for much of the state, particularly central and north Texas. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for residents in an area north of Houston because authorities were concerned a dam could fail. San Marcos is in Hays County, a fast-growing area between San Antonio and Austin. Some 1,000 homes were damaged in the county, Wyatt said. Hays County sheriff’s lieutenant Jeri Skrocki said a number of rescues were conducted in the community of Wimberley, about 40 miles south-west of Austin. No serious injuries were reported.
The evacuation area was between Lake Conroe and nearby Lake Lewis, about 50 miles north of Houston. The Montgomery County emergency management office said in a statement on Sunday that the dam on Lake Lewis remained intact. Montgomery County officials said a Red Cross shelter was open in Montgomery. Forecasts in the area called for the rain to continue on Sunday and be heavy at times on Monday, with continued threats of flash flooding.
The area received rain overnight and the NWS expected another 2in to 3in through Sunday, along with damaging winds. Up to 4in of rain could fall on Monday. Near Houston, high winds damaged rooftops, blew out windows, damaged at least 50 apartments and injured two people at an apartment complex. Two people who were injured were taken to hospitals, though the severity of their injuries was not immediately known, the Houston fire department said in a news release.
Rain in many areas was expected to diminish but forecasts predicted continued periods of rainfall through the week. About 50 miles north of the city, authorities concerned that the dam on Lake Lewis could fail due to rain issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents. The NWS said another 2in to 3in could fall on Sunday, with up to 4in the forecast for Monday.
Oklahoma City set a new monthly rainfall total this weekend – 18.19in through Saturday, beating the previous one of 14.52in in 2013.
Colorado also was waterlogged. A mandatory evacuation notice was issued on Sunday for residents in the north-eastern city of Sterling, and officials in El Paso and Pueblo counties said they intend to ask Governor John Hickenlooper for a disaster declaration.