CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - The Latest on flooding in Texas (all times local):
5:15 p.m.
The American Red Cross has been opening shelters in areas along the Texas coast that have been inundated by flooding from heavy rains over the last few days.
Jackie Drake, spokeswoman for the group’s Texas Gulf Coast region, says about 160 people were expected at a shelter at an elementary school that opened Wednesday afternoon in Weslaco, which is in far South Texas near the border with Mexico.
She says five people were also staying at shelters in the area in Donna and San Benito.
A shelter that opened Tuesday in Orange, east of Houston, closed Wednesday. She didn’t know how many people had stayed there.
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4:05 p.m.
Heavy rains have caused street flooding in the Texas city of Port Aransas, which is still recovering after suffering major destruction when Hurricane Harvey hit last year.
Port Aransas police Chief Scott Burroughs tells The Associated Press that “just about every street in town was flooded at some point” Wednesday morning. He says authorities had a few reports of water getting into some residences but no “major incidents.”
He said that by Wednesday afternoon most of the streets were draining as the rains eased off. He said no one there had need for shelter.
Burroughs said that the town is still in the “beginning stages” of recovery after Harvey made landfall nearby in August. He said almost all of the buildings in town suffered some kind of damage from Harvey.
He says, “This was kind of a walk in the park compared to Harvey.”
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1:45 p.m.
Officials in Corpus Christi worked to rescue motorists caught on flooded streets amid heavy rain.
Richie Quintero, deputy fire chief in Corpus Christi, said Wednesday that officials had “quite a busy evening” on Tuesday as a heavy rainfall poured down. He said that they city has gotten up to 14 inches (35 centimeters) in some areas since the rains began Monday afternoon.
He said that fire, police and public works employees helped motorists on Tuesday evening. He says the rain came down “really quickly.”
Quintero said that by Wednesday morning the situation had improved. He didn’t have a count of how many motorists were rescued.
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11:10 a.m.
Flood warnings and watches have been issued for counties on and near the Texas coast from the border to an area about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Houston.
Heavy rain has been falling since Tuesday, including in areas that were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey less than a year ago.
A flash flood watch was also issued Wednesday for Beaumont, about 85 miles (135 kilometers) to the east of Houston.
The National Weather Service says the slow-moving storm that submerged the coastal area is expected to finally move away Thursday morning. The weather service says a widespread 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) of rain is possible along the coast before then.
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10:20 a.m.
Heavy rains in South Texas have caused flooding in areas that were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey less than a year ago.
National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Castillo said Wednesday that up to 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain have fallen in some areas along the coast since Tuesday. Port Aransas, which was devastated when Harvey hit last August, is among the cities inundated.
Earlier this week, heavy rains further north near Beaumont, also caused flooding. Chris Jenkins’ home in Orange County was flooded with about 6 inches (15 centimeters) of water. He and his family had just moved back into the home in March after it flooded during Harvey.
He told KHOU that he returned to find “everything floating on the floor. Nothing can prepare you for it.”
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