As a result of heavy rains, the Blanco River rose at a record level on Saturday, May 23 in Hays County in Central Texas. Tropical storm Bill has brought even more rain to Texas on June 16.
According to newser.com, in Oklahoma, authorities in Cleveland and Comanche counties say they have conducted water rescues, too. They say some were residents trapped in their attics and on their roofs. The Red River in Bossier City, La. has overflowed its banks as rains from the other two states surge into the river.
Based on chinavoa.com, NPR's John Burnett reports that the governor of Texas says flooding there is the worst that state has ever seen. “This amount of flooding is pretty weird. Usually, the flooding happens just for a day or one feet or two feet, but this is a lot more than what I have seen before.”
Sam Walton, a sophomore majoring in HTM from Euless, Texas, said, “My brother lives in Houston, where the most flooding place, but it is far from where I stay. It has been a lot of distraction, but now they are all fine.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what is causing it,” Taryn Skahil, a sophomore majoring in TESOL education from Austin, Texas, said, “Texas always has extreme crazy weather though. I read something about how global warming causes the warmer air in the atmosphere to retain more moisture and cause more extreme precipitation but I have no idea if that’s true or not. Texas is crazy with its weather sometimes.”
On the ksat.com, they reported the original story about how this terrible situation happened. A slow-moving storm system continues to push through South Texas in early June, bringing with it heavy rainfall and the possibility of severe thunderstorms.
“It is terrible, and my uncle lives in Oklahoma. He always has tornados coming through, so it is kind of like Hawaii because we have tsunami. But, it is still pretty scary. I feel bad for the people there because it destroys people’s homes, families and everything! I have never lived through the destruction they would,” said Mark Wolfersberger, a faculty in EIL department from California.
Wolfersberger continued to say people can feel sympathy for them although they have never been through that situation. They can see the damage on YouTube and everybody has a phone, so everyone has recorded what was happening. He said he thought this sharing makes people feel more compassion. “I remember when I was watching the tsunami in Japan in YouTube, it was horrible.”
On May 27, 2015, Fox News reported “Texas dam holds; US storm death toll hits 19,” the report of the compromised dam in Midlothian, which is on Padera Lake about 25 miles southwest of Dallas, came as the statewide search continues for 11 people.
The death toll from the Memorial Day weekend storms reached 19 in the U.S. after two more bodies were recovered Wednesday in Houston. There were 14 deaths in Mexico.
Walton mentioned, “I think it is better for them to prepare for this in advance when they know it is possibility. Because Houston is a low line area, where goes to the ocean from Mexico. They can build their houses higher in order to minimize their losses.”
Also, Skahil brought another way to limit casualties,” I think all people can do is to follow the city’s safety recommendations. Stay inside if they tell you to and have emergency supplies at home.”