Video: Texas hit by floods. Rescuers evacuated hundreds of people and animals

The Texas city of Houston is dealing with flooding and its consequences after Sunday’s storms. The AP reports that the water is slowly receding, so residents can begin to return to their homes and assess the damage.

The flooding came after days of heavy rains that unexpectedly hit the area. Emergency services across the state had to rescue up to 600 people, some of whom were stuck on roofs, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

“It’s been heartbreaking for us to watch our fellow Texans literally be inundated with record amounts of water,” Abbott said, adding that active rescue efforts were halted Monday. According to him, the emergency rescue services are currently moving “from the reaction phase to the recovery and cleaning mode”.

At least five schools in the Houston area were closed Monday due to flooding. Abbott said preliminary reports indicated at least 800 structures were damaged in the state. However, this number is likely to increase, as officials in many affected municipalities have not yet begun to assess the damage.

In Walker County, rescue efforts stalled, but rapid response teams eventually had to rescue residents of about 100 homes who chose not to evacuate but were then unable to leave due to high water. Sherri Pegoda, the county’s deputy emergency management coordinator, said emergency crews are bringing food and water to those residents.

While authorities in Harris County reported no deaths or serious injuries, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said there were at least three deaths in the state, according to the AP. Among the dead, he said, was a four-year-old boy in North Texas who died after an accident in which his car was swept off the road by fast-moving water.

Houston is among the nation’s most flood-prone metropolitan areas. The city of more than two million inhabitants has many years of experience with devastating weather. Hurricane Harvey brought historic rainfall here in 2017, flooding thousands of homes and prompting more than 60,000 rescue efforts across Harris County.