Heavy Rains Hit Texas as Number of Deaths Rises from Floods

Texas: Storms dumped rain on parts of Texas of Wednesday, bringing more runoff to swollen waterways that spilled their banks this week in places such as Houston, where floods have left five people dead and caused chaos in the fourth most-populous US city.

At least 18 people have been killed in Texas and Oklahoma from storms that started over the Memorial Day weekend and led to record floods, destroying hundreds of homes, sweeping away bridges and stranding more than 2,000 motorists on roads.

The death toll in Texas was set to rise with numerous people still missing and thunderstorms pelting the already flood-hit cities of Houston and Austin.

"This rain has the potential to cause additional street flooding so residents are advised to be careful as they commute to work," the city of Houston said in a statement, adding about 1,400 structures were damaged by high water and two people were unaccounted for in the city.

The storms dealt a blow to air travel in the region with more than 200 flights canceled as of 11:30 a.m. CDT on Wednesday at airports in Dallas and Houston, some of the nation's busiest.

Near Dallas, police evacuated people living near a dam that had threatened to burst due to surging floodwaters. Water had topped the Padera dam, about 25 miles (40 kms) southwest ofDallas, and police in Midlothian called on people living downstream to evacuate and move livestock to higher ground.

"Engineers have assessed the dam and do not anticipate a failure at this time," the Midlothian police said in a statement.

Flash flood warnings were expected through the weekend in Texas, the Texas Division of Emergency Management said as a storm system that has settled along several southern states brings more rain.

About 11 inches (28 cm) of rain fell in Houston on Monday while parts of Austin have been hit by as much as 7 inches (18 cm). Helicopter crews in both cities plucked to safety people who had been stranded in cars and on top of buildings.

There was no damage estimate available for Texas, which has a $1.4 trillion-a-year economy and is the country's main domestic source of energy, as well as an agricultural and manufacturing power.