South Central United States Slammed with Tornadoes, Floods
- Updated May 26, 2015
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared states of disaster in 24 counties after strong thunderstorms battered the state over Memorial Day weekend.
"You cannot candy coat it,” Abbott said. “It's absolutely massive.
"It sends a powerful message that is the relentless tsunami-type power that this wave of water can pose for people. When elected officials say evacuate, the devastation is a reminder to heed those warnings.”
CBN News reports tornadoes, heavy rain and thunderstorms have hammered Texas, creating flash flood zones and forcing evacuations.
Severe storms are expected for the rest of the week in the South Central part of the United States.
In Houston, two more people were confirmed dead Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 10. Another 12 people are missing, NBC News reports.
About 80,000 people are without power in Houston and the flood waters forced the city to shut down Interstate 10 and Interstate 45.
"The rain just kept coming, and coming, and coming," said Ashley Aivles, a 25-year-old call center worker.
"I lived here during Hurricane Ike [in 2008] and this was a close second. We've had really bad rain in the past but this was something else.”
People were also stranded in Houston’s Galleria mall after parts of the building and some streets around the mall were flooded.
"I've lived in Houston all my life and I've not seen flooding this bad in a very long time,” said Joshua Cooper, a Houston resident.
Publication date: May 26, 2015
