HOUSTON — The death toll rose to six in Texas as more bodies were recovered Saturday after another band of strong storms and heavy rain spawned three tornadoes and dangerous flooding in the waterlogged state.
It was the second day of turbulent weather in Texas, where at least four people died Friday in flood waters in central Texas. The storms and suspected tornadoes, which forecasters say were caused by an upper-level disturbance from Mexico, socked an already-sodden swath of Texas that was still drying out from the remnants of Hurricane Patricia.
In the Houston area, some locations had received nearly 12 inches of rain since Friday, though it had mostly stopped by Saturday afternoon. The water flooded streets and freeway frontage roads and caused bayous to spill over their banks. The Houston Fire Department said it responded to more than 130 water rescues Saturday, and some light-rail and bus transportation was suspended.
Houston officials also said they had received 44 reports of structural flooding, including homes and businesses, and the fire department helped remove residents from flooded homes near a bayou in the northeastern part of the city.
Houston police discovered two bodies that are believed to be weather-related deaths, one in a flooded ditch and another in a wooded area where there had been high water, according to city spokesman Michael Walter.
As the storms moved eastward Saturday, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Blood said a tornado went through Brazoria County near Alvin at about 5 a.m., damaging about 25 mobile homes in the community 30 miles south of Houston. County spokeswoman Sharon Trower said five people were injured.
Thirty minutes later, a tornado hit the Houston suburb of Friendswood, where about 30 homes had minor damage and the roof of one home was ripped off.
Between 10 and 30 homes were damaged by a tornado in a subdivision in eastern Harris County at about 7 a.m. Saturday, Blood said.
Austin, San Antonio and surrounding areas were first confronted with flooding Friday. Four people died when they were swept away by flood waters.
More than 16 inches of rain soaked one Austin neighborhood on Friday and Austin Bergstrom International Airport suspended all flights after a half-foot of water flooded the air traffic control tower; 40 flights were canceled there on Saturday.
