Texas may get relief from rain

DALLAS, June 29 (UPI) -- Parts of Texas that have been drenched with heavy rain and flooding may get some relief, but forecasters say it will be a while yet before the area dries out.

A storm that has dumped more than 19 inches of rain on the Dallas area since May 1 -- 10.97 inches so far in June -- is showing signs of breaking down, forecasters told The Dallas Morning News.

"We still have a couple days left with some good chances of rain," said National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Ryan in Fort Worth. "But this system will slowly back off and weaken."

Heavy rain Thursday morning caused pools of standing water on some highways and prompted officials to close some routes.

A teenage boy in Garland, Texas, reportedly was swept away and drowned in a raging creek Tuesday, the Morning News said.

A young couple disappeared Wednesday in Williamson County, apparently after their car was swept away, The Austin (Texas) American-Statesman reported. Searchers found Estaban Martinez's car late in the day outside Liberty Hill, but there was no trace of Martinez or his girlfriend, Brandi DeLuna.

Forecasters said the system could move farther east, possibly bringing welcome rain to drought-stricken Southern states, the Morning News said.