Following devastating storms the previous day that left widespread flooding, trapped citizens, and flooded vehicles, emergency personnel began rescue efforts along the Texas-Mexico border on Friday as heavy rainfall finally subsided.
At least three persons have lost their lives, but Hidalgo County officials indicated that little is known about the deaths other than the fact that they happened during police reaction activities.
More than 200 residents were rescued by authorities, and another 200 are still in need of assistance.
Over 21 inches of rain have fallen on Harlingen in the last week, according to city officials, with Thursday’s heavy rains causing especially bad flooding.
According to fire chief R.C. Flores, emergency personnel in the city of Alamo responded to over 100 water rescues, including individuals stranded in cars and trapped in homes.
In addition to forcing road closures, the floods caused air travel disruptions, including the closing of a nearby airport during the storm’s peak.
Heavy rains continued to affect cities throughout the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, with officials estimating that several hundred homes in Alamo were submerged.
According to Alamo Fire Chief R.C. Flores, several villages were severely damaged by Thursday’s storms, but all are making every effort to assist those in need.
According to Mayor Adrian Gonzalez, Weslaco received about 14 inches of rain, which led to 30 to 40 water rescues of residents and drivers who were stranded by the quickly rising floodwaters.
Images captured trapped drivers waiting for the waters to subside and abandoned cars on inundated highways around South Texas.
Six to twelve inches of rain fell in numerous places in a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials in nearby Cameron County asked Governor Greg Abbott to declare a disaster following heavy floods caused by more than 17 inches of rain.
Because of flooding, Valley International Airport in Harlingen remained closed on Friday and all flights were canceled.
Reopening efforts were underway, according to airport officials, who said they were “focused on ensuring safety.”
AEP Texas reports that more than 3,400 customers in several counties had power interruptions. Parts of Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties were still under a flood warning as of early Friday afternoon.
Although the rain stopped in the morning, the National Weather Service warned that any more rains might soon result in fresh floods. “Given the saturated ground, any rainfall today will bring renewed flood concerns,” it stated.
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Weslaco, Alamo, and Harlingen all opened emergency shelters, including a middle school that will be open to displaced people until Friday.
The persistent inclement weather forced more than 20 South Texas school districts and college campuses to cancel classes.
This Information has been sourced from Newsweek.
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