4 dead, 2 missing as Texas is hit with torrential rains and flooding

Texas authorities said four people died in flooding and two remained missing as torrential rains moved on but left behind swollen rivers that have overrun some communities.

Washington County Judge John Brieden said the bodies of two missing motorists were found Saturday in the rural county between Austin and Houston.

One body was found in a submerged vehicle. The other body was discovered downstream from his overturned truck.

“The skies are clear and things look good. But we want to make sure people understand that we are not out of the woods yet. We have to keep an eye on water that’s coming through our bayou system,” said Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Office of Emergency Management in Harris County, where Houston is located.

Officials had previously announced two other deaths in the county.

Lisa Block, an emergency services spokeswoman in Travis County, says authorities will continue searching Sunday for two missing people in the Austin area.

Officials in Rosenberg, a town of 34,000 residents located 35 miles southwest of Houston, ordered the evacuation of houses in several neighborhoods near the rising Brazos River. The evacuation order was to take effect at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The Brazos was expected to reach record levels and crest at more than 53 feet on Tuesday. Major flood stage for the river is 50 feet.

A shelter is being set up for residents in the nearby city of Richmond.

Earlier Saturday, Simonton, another city in Fort Bend County on the Brazos River, issued a mandatory evacuation order for most of its 800 residents.

Heavy rain also drenched other parts of the U.S.

Tropical Storm Bonnie brought rain and wind to the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.

In central Kansas, the Wichita Fire Department said that it was searching for an 11-year-old boy who went missing after he was swept away by a swollen creek Friday night. The department said on its Facebook page that two cadaver police dogs are taking part in the search.