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Storm Loses Strength, Texans Brace for More Floods

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Tropical Storm Bill continues to weaken as it makes its way inland across Texas. The storm slammed the Lone Star State Tuesday, but there were no reported injuries.

"We saw very strong winds on the north and east side of this thing. Very light winds on the west side, a lot of rain," said Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, chief meteorologist for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as Hurricane Hunters.

With the storm downgraded to a tropical depression, Texans not only have to deal with the aftermath of Bill – such as cleaning the flooded condos in Seabrooke, Texas -- they must also contend with more heavy rains, flooding, and potential tornadoes.

"Another day in paradise!" the owner of one flooded condo quipped.

"Hoping the water doesn't get any higher because it is going up in our staircase and balcony," another condo owner said.

Tropical Storm Bill made landfall about 90 miles southwest of Houston on Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour.

Forecasters say portions of Texas could see 3 to 6 inches of rain through Wednesday, with some isolated areas getting up to 12 inches.

All that rain is bad news for a state that's still recovering from two months of historic rains and flooding. Just ask resident Frank Prochaska.

A couple of weeks ago, storms caused water to swell up from a nearby lake, washing out his front lawn and draining into his home. Now rains from Bill are threatening to do the same again.

"We thought we were out of the woods, and now this tropical depression is coming up," he said.

Bill's arrival comes on the heels of the wettest month in the state's history. Storms over the Memorial Day weekend brought widespread flooding to Texas and Oklahoma, killing more than 30 people.

All that rain means many lakes and reservoirs are close to capacity and flood-prone areas still saturated.

In Prochaska's community, water management officials are worrying about just how bad another wave of wet weather could get.

"We have three different reservoirs that are on the West Fork of the Trinity River: Lake Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain and Lake Worth. Part of our job is to make sure that we pass the water through all of them and minimize any damage," Chad Lorance, of the Tarrant Regional Water District, explained.

CBN's Operation Blessing was on the ground helping victims of the last flood. Now teams are back in the region again, preparing to work with local pastors to help residents and assist with clean-up.

Meanwhile, Bill is expected to weaken as it moves through Texas and into Oklahoma over the next couple of days.

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Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and of Indian descent, CBN News’ Senior International Correspondent and Co-Anchor, George Thomas, has been traveling the globe for more than 20 years, finding the stories of people, conflicts, and issues that must be told. He has reported from more than 100 countries and has had a front-row seat to numerous global events of our day. George’s stories of faith, struggle, and hope combine the expertise of a seasoned journalist with the inspiration of a deep calling to tell the stories of the people behind the news. “I’ve always liked discovering & exploring new