Oklahoma, Texas Flash Floods Leave 2 Dead, Hundreds of Homes Washed Away

Unusual amounts of rain across the Midwest in the U.S. left various areas flooded and a total of about 2,000 residents fleeing their homes.

"Tornados struck, severely damaging an apartment complex in Houston, Texas," Fox News reported. "A firefighter in Oklahoma was swept to his death while trying to rescue 10 people in high water."

"The body of a man was recovered from a flooded area along the Blanco River, which rose 26 feet in just one hour and left piles of wreckage 20 feet high," the news source added.

Wimberley was the worst-hit area in Texas, where at least 350 houses were swept away by the flash floods.

"The river crested at over 41 feet early Sunday - with flood stage at a mere 13 feet," My San Antonio reported. "The deluge eclipsed a record set in 1929 when it rose to 32 feet."

A tornado that came on Sunday near Dripping Springs wrecked 25 mobile homes and "damaging rooftops, toppling trees, blowing out windows and sending at least two people to a hospital," Fox News said. "The tornado struck with winds of about 100 mph at around 6:30 a.m. Sunday."

"We still have people who are still trapped in certain areas, but we're having difficulty reaching them," emergency management coordinator Ken Bell told My San Antonio.

Meanwhile, in San Marcos, the recreational center that served as temporary shelter "quickly became overcrowded after Texas 35 was closed."

"The city of San Marcos, Hays County and Wimberley imposed a curfew starting at 9 p.m.," USA Today noted. "An estimated 1,000 homes were damaged."

This month is said to be the "wettest on record for several cities in the southern Plains states," Fox News said. However, residents are to expect more rain to arrive in the coming days.

The record rainfall is said to be due to the prolonged warming of the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The resulting cooler air, plus "an active southern jet stream and plentiful moisture from the Gulf of Mexico," contributed to the epic rainfall occurrence.

"It looks like the rainfall that we're getting now may actually officially end the drought," said Forrest Mitchell, National Weather Service meteorologist. He observed that the moisture has now penetrated two feet below the soil's surface and that the reservoirs and lakes has been replenished by the downpour.

The NWS has since issued flood warnings for various areas, including central Missouri and Kansas City.

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