The Nation : Storms That Killed 6 Spawn Tornadoes

Raging thunderstorms that killed six people in Texas continued, spawning tornadoes and torrential rains in the Lone Star State and Louisiana, swamping roads and homes in waist-high floodwaters and forcing evacuation of some people by boat. Flooding and the threat of floods closed schools in the Houston area and in at least five Louisiana parishes. The death toll from three days of severe weather in Texas rose to six when a 41-year-old man died of injuries suffered on a rain-slick Dallas highway Tuesday night. Dozens of people have been injured. From 5 to 14 inches of rain fell in 24 hours over southeastern Texas and western Louisiana. Coushatta, La., reported 14.20 inches in 24 hours. Flooding closed about 40 major roads in Louisiana, state police said. Two train engines and 15 rail cars derailed during the night when they hit flooded tracks in northwestern Louisiana’s Red River Parish, authorities said.