Eight Deaths in Texas Storms

The band of storms that has been moving through parts of the Plains and the Midwest since Thursday has been blamed for at least 14 deaths, including eight in Texas and six in Kansas. Jose Vargas, 48, was found after Johnson County sheriff’s deputies tried to rescue him with two other people who were in a pickup.

The National Weather Service reported that 5.12 inches (13 cm) of rain fell Thursday through Friday, bringing this year’s total to 55.87 inches (141.9 cm) and eclipsing the previous record of 53.54 inches (135.9 cm) set in 1991.

Weather forecasters issued flash flood watches and warnings from northern Texas up to St. Louis, and reported up to four inches of rain in several places as the storm moved across the northeast. Rescue teams have been dispatched to rescue the residents trapped in the flashfloods.

The deputy has been treated and released from an area hospital. “The rain and the water was at such a high rate across the roadway, as she was attempting to get into the auto… she herself was swept into the water and taken downstream some distance and lost”, said Terry Grisham of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputy Krystal Salazar was swept away during a water rescue in Tarrant County, reports NBC.

Drivers across the region are warned to exercise caution.

The flooding is believed to have killed three people in Texas swept away by the surging water.

A helicopter was deployed to help retrieve the man from a tree. Johnson County officials identified the dead man as Jose Vargas, 48, of Grapevine.

Another 4 million people were under a winter weather advisory or freezing rain advisory. “She couldn’t wait for dive boats”.

“Until the water slows down, we can’t get into it or under it”, department spokesman Kyle Clay said early Saturday. His vehicle was washed off the road near the Brand and Campbell roads intersection. She has worked patrol for about two and a half years.

The rain could also dump up more than an inch on Tennessee, Kentucky and the western parts of Virginia and North Carolina as it moves eastward.

“It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities”, said Matt Stalley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth. One, for much of North Texas, is scheduled to expire at 6 a.m. Sunday. With north winds blowing at 15 to 20 miles per hour, wind chills should drop into the low 30s.

“We’ll have scattered off-and-on showers through the day today lingering through Saturday and possibly Sunday morning”, Stalley said.

Flooding caused police to shut down FM 2499 near the Grapevine Mills Mall Friday, reports The Dallas Morning News.

“It’s a very risky situation when you get temperatures like that near freezing”.