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Death toll increases to 14 in Texas, Oklahoma flooding

By Andrew V. Pestano and Danielle Haynes
Damage caused by the EF1 Tornado in Houston. Photo courtesy of City of Houston Office of Emergency Management/Facebook
1 of 3 | Damage caused by the EF1 Tornado in Houston. Photo courtesy of City of Houston Office of Emergency Management/Facebook

HOUSTON, May 26 (UPI) -- A storm system has triggered flash-flood watches and warnings across seven states Tuesday, killing 14 people and bringing historic flooding to Houston.

Up to eight inches of rain fell on Houston in less than 24 hours, according to the city's emergency management coordinator, Rick Flanagan. More than 80,000 people were without power and schools were closed.

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Flood watches and warnings were in effect early Tuesday in parts of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi, NBC News reported.

At least 14 people have been killed and 16 are missing due to the severe weather since Saturday in Oklahoma and Texas. At least one person in each state is suspected of being killed by tornadoes Monday.

Officials in San Marcos and Hays counties said more than 400 homes have been washed away, including one residence in Wimberley, Texas, where the daughter-in-law and two grandchildren of former Nueces County Commissioner Joe McComb were staying. The woman and her two children were still missing Tuesday, and McComb's son was hospitalized with rib fractures and a collapsed lung.

The Houston-area counties of Harris and Fort Bend were expected to receive more rainfall on Tuesday.

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"This continues to be an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Weather Service said. "Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order."

Downtown Austin and the surrounding area also saw significant flooding Monday and Tuesday. The dam at Bastrop State Park southeast of the capital broke and sent excess water down Copperas Creek. People were urged to evacuate the area.

The capital received between 1.5 and 6 inches of water within 24 hours

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster on Monday in 24 counties.

Further north, Lake Texoma topped its spillway Sunday morning for only the fourth time in the dam's 58-year history. The lake is considered full at about 617 feet above sea level and topped out at 642 feet, Col. Richard Pratt of the Army Corps of Engineers told KXII-TV in Ardmore, Okla.

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In the Dallas area, a 25-foot sinkhole opened up near a runway at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, shutting it down. The runway was closed for several hours until engineers determined the sinkhole didn't compromise its integrity.

Up to six inches of rain was expected to fall over central and southern Louisiana in the coming days, according to CNN. Flooding has also been reported in central and northeast Kansas, damaging roads.

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