At least three people died and hundreds of others were rescued in flooding in South Texas after more than 20 inches of rain fell near the border with Mexico on Thursday and Friday.
The deaths were confirmed in a local disaster declaration by a judge in Hidalgo County, which is about 150 miles southwest of Corpus Christi. The identities of those who died were not immediately known, officials said.
Parts of the county got 14 inches of rain, which caused “significant property damage,” county officials said. The rain in Southern Texas, about a half-year’s worth in two days, had subsided by Friday evening.
Officials in the nearby city of Harlingen, which recorded 21 inches of rain, said on Friday that emergency responders had rescued more than 200 residents and hundreds more were waiting to be rescued.
“We are also urging all residents to stay home, avoid flooded areas and to not drive through standing water,” said Norma Sepulveda, the mayor of Harlingen.
Over the next several days, the rains were expected to move northeast toward Mississippi and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service.Thunderstorms began dousing South Texas on Wednesday. The flooding also affected parts of Mexico, including the border states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon.
John Yoon contributed reporting.