RISING WATERS

Evacuations, Destroyed Homes Caused by Texas Floods

A tornado touched down in Bryan, Texas.

Heavy rain, flooding, and severe storms forced evacuations in several Texas counties Thursday night and Friday morning. More than 14 inches of rain fell across counties that included the cities of Houston and Austin, as well as the area between them. Several major Austin roads were still flooded Friday morning. Bastrop and Fayette County emergency crews were overwhelmed with water rescues and officials from other areas were called in to assist. Carmine, Texas, residents said they’d never seen flooding so severe. Carmine Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief B.J. Finke called it an “historic event.” He said, “We’ve never had this much water before in the town of Carmine, so we’re just kind of doing the best we can as we go along.” Drivers were stranded on various state highways. During the storm Thursday afternoon, a tornado hit the city of Bryan, police said.