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Death Count Rises in Texas, Oklahoma Floods

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The death toll is on the rise in Texas and Oklahoma after heavy rains and devastating floods ripped through the area.  So far, at least 17 people have died.

Thousands of homes were damaged and more than 2,000 vehicles were abandoned after nearly a quarter of Houston's annual rainfall fell in just 24 hours.

"We have 1,000 properties that we visually inspected. We believe that there may be as many as 4,000 with significant damage," Houston Mayor Annise Parker said.

On Sunday, a 44-foot wall of water rushed down the Blanco River, demolishing homes and businesses.

"I can't see!" one driver exclaimed as he tried to make his way through the flood waters that trapped hundreds.

Chris Liebrum, head of Texas Baptist Disaster Recovery, spoke with CBN's Charlene Aaron about flood relief efforts and what his group is doing to help. Click play below to listen.

D'Anna Tindel was among those whose homes were damaged by the deluge.

"I was sleeping in that room; all the furniture just left. The wall is gone," she said.

The danger is not over yet. Meteorologists say the storms are not done, raising the prospect of even more flooding.

Meanwhile, the search continues for more than a dozen who are still missing, including Laura McComb and her two young children. The family was sharing a vacation house in Wimberley, Texas, with another family when it was swept away.

McComb's husband, Jonathan, was rescued and is being treated at a San Antonio hospital after suffering a broken sternum, broken rib, and a collapsed lung.

"He is absolutely devastated. He did everything he possibly could to save them," McComb's sister, Julie Shields, told KVUE-TV.

"What happened was the house slammed into a bridge and the house broke in two and they had all been in the house together holding hands but when the house hit the bridge and it separated, he got separated from everyone else," Shields said.

Also among those confirmed dead are 14-year-old Damien Blade and homecoming queen Alyssa Ramiriz.

"We're devastated," neighbor Martin Ellis, a neighbor of the Blade family, told CBSDFW. "We're devastated. Can't imagine what the parents must be going through right now."

"She was a good person," Amber Contreras, a friend of Ramiriz, told CNN affiliate WOAI. "I was like, it can't be happening."

Meanwhile, Operation Blessing's Disaster Relief Team has been deployed and will be providing aid to the victims.

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About The Author

Dale
Hurd

Dale Hurd utilizes his four decades of experience to provide cutting-edge analysis of the most important events affecting our world. Since joining CBN News, Dale has reported extensively from Europe, China, Russia, and South America. His reports have been used or cited by NBC News, Fox News, and numerous news websites. Dale was credited with “changing the political culture in France” through his groundbreaking coverage of the rise of militant Islam in that nation. His stories garnered millions of views in Europe on controversial topics ignored by the European media. Dale has also covered the