Flooding in Texas

Kansas City Star, via AP: More rain fell Thursday in parts of Texas, and residents were bracing for even more of the downpours that have killed 11 people in recent days. Officials reported calls for dozens of rescues in San Antonio, and hundreds of people were being ordered to leave their homes near the bloated Brazos River in northern Texas.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, acting as governor while Gov. Rick Perry is out of the country, surveyed damage Thursday in the lakeside community of Marble Falls, which received 18 inches of rain early Wednesday. No one was killed, but there were 32 water rescues and widespread damage. “I haven’t seen so much destruction since I was on the ground right after Hurricane Rita,” Dewhurst said. “What these folks need is just a break in the rain and a chance to dry out.”

..Overnight rainfall in central Texas was far short of the 10 inches that was forecast, but more was expected, and flash flood warnings were in effect. Storm systems near Austin and San Antonio were expected to dump as much as 10 inches Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

…In San Antonio, 47 streets were closed, and authorities received 39 calls for rescues, although it was unclear how many people were rescued, said Sandy Gutierrez, a spokeswoman for the city Emergency Operations Center.