5 Dead in ‘Unprecedented’ Houston Floods

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster after more than a foot of rain in one day flooded vast stretches of Houston on Monday. Nearly 17 inches of rain deluged the city, canceling hundreds of flights, and shutting down schools and mass transit. Five people were found dead inside submerged vehicles, including two people who drove around a barricade into a flooded underpass. Houston suspended all rail and bus services while Bush Intercontinental Airport was forced to cancel almost 650 flights. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the floods damaged eight buildings and 43,000 people in the Houston area were without power. “This is an unprecedented amount of rain,” Turner said. “It’s been stubborn, and it’s not moving anytime fast.”