At Least 1 Dead, 5 Missing as Flooding Engulfs Parts of Texas; Helicopter Rescues 5 Near Austin

Eric Chaney
Published: May 27,2016
One person has died and five are missing in Texas after a severe storm system fired up once again in the Plains, bringing heavy rain and severe flooding to parts of the Plains.
The Brenham Fire Department told KHOU 11 News one person died in a trailer home in Chappell Hill, Texas. The home was flooded as storms stalled over the Brenham area Thursday night.
KHOU also reported two people missing from their flooded vehicles in the same area. Two others are missing in the Austin area.
High waters covered roadways and prompted evacuations across the region Thursday and into Friday. Tornadoes that caused damage were also reported in the Lone Star State and Kansas, where twisters have been spotted for a third consecutive day.
(FORECAST: Severe Weather Outbreak Possible, Including Tornadoes, Thursday in the Plains States)
Here are the latest impacts from these storms.

Texas

Emergency officials are searching for two people whose vehicles were found in floodwaters near Brenham, KHOU reported. According to the station, one of the missing is 21-year-old Darren Mitchell, family members tell KHOU 11. He called his mom to say he was in high water.
He also posted to Facebook when his car was in flood water, "And all I wanted to do was go home." Friday morning, officials found his truck overturned in water near 105.

Fire crews are searching for two people that were swept away by floodwaters early Friday morning in southeast Travis County, KVUE reported. ESD 11 Chief Ken Bailey confirms to the station the two were swept away around 1:15 a.m. Friday.
The exact details of the incident are still unclear, but reports to police said the two individuals' car had been swept off the road and the two people inside got stuck in a tree around 2:30 a.m, KXAN reported.
Travis County Fire Rescue spokesperson Ken Bailey told KEYE that the people were on top of the car and rescue crews were preparing to go to them when water swept them away.
Travis County Emergency Services spokeswoman Lisa Block said waters have receded in the area where the two people are missing and officials are hopeful they are safe.
Five people were rescued from the roof of a home by helicopter near Austin. Several Austin neighborhoods were evacuated early Friday morning, KXAN reports, and drivers are being asked to stay off roads in Bastrop County due to the dangerous situation unfolding as waters continue to rise along the Colorado River and cover roadways.
"Rainfall is expected to be generally to the east of the Austin area through this evening, but should a thunderstorm pop up near or west of Austin heavy rainfall and higher totals up to 2" could occur, adding to area's flooding woes," said weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.
Water rescues took place in Bryan Thursday after two vehicles became trapped by rising water in separate incidents, according to a local fire official. Texas Avenue was also inundated by flooding, obstructing officials from responding to the scene of the rescue. Both vehicle occupants were safely rescued.

Heavy rains in Brenham, Texas, washed out a road and overturned a vehicle.
(Anoushah Rasta/KPRC)

Highway 71 was closed at the Travis/Bastrop County Line due to water over the roadway, KXAN reported. Washington County saw 36 high water rescues Thursday and State Highway 36 and U.S. 290 became flooded and impassable, NWS reports.

Nearly 50 miles east of Austin in Giddings, some residents in the Hickory Creek subdivision had to wade through water up to four feet deep to try to get out of their homes around dinner time on Thursday, KEYE reports.
Along Highway 290, there were several accidents from the storm. A semi-truck rolled over and in a separate accident a car hydroplaned and also rolled several times. No one was seriously injured.
In Brenham high water washed parts of at least one road, leaving huge gaps in some spots and tearing up the pavement in others, KPRC reports. The city saw 16.62 inches of rain on Thursday, sahttering the old one-day record by 6.24 inches.

Heavy storms in Montgomery County led to several reports of lightning strikes and water rescues Thursday, according to the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office.
The National Weather Service reported a tornado touched down near Wixon Valley and was moving northeast Thursday afternoon.
KAGS News tweeted several photos of apparent tornado damage to homes in Bryan but said there were no injuries reported as of early Thursday afternoon. According to KTBC reporter Chris Walker, Brazos County officials reported tornado damage in the Wheeler Ridge subdivision of College Station.

"When I turned the corner and saw the tornado, all I could see was just debris and trees flying. It was just a war zone," resident Don Maxwell told the Houston Chronicle.
Bryan residents told Fox 7 that after the storm passed, traffic lights were out, roads were blocked, many people couldn't get home and everything seemed very chaotic.
“I have never seen anything like this. Of my two years staying here, this has easily been one of the craziest days I have ever seen,” Kevin Ford, who lives in Bryan, told the station.
The Wallace Pack Unit prison in Navasota sustained damage to a pair of watchtowers and an outbuilding, the Associated Press reports. No one was injured and all staff members and 1,200 inmates were accounted for.
According to KBTX.com, lightning hit a home in Robertson County on Highway 79 Thursday morning and caused power outages in College Station, where more than 1,400 customers lost power.

Kansas

A tornado was reported in Wamego Thursday, and photos and videos of damage surfaced online.
Trees were uprooted and cars were destroyed by the downed timbers, reports KSNT News. A tree also collapsed on top of a home.

Falling hail about 2.75 inches broke the windows of vehicles and homes in Meriden Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Power lines and several tree branches were also downed.

Missouri

Multiple reports stated that the Kansas City International Airport had to be evacuated Thursday due to the incoming weather. Travelers were instructed to move into the garage.

There were reports of 14,000 power outages across Kansas City Thursday, according to KMBC.
A tweet on the page of the Kansas City Royals announced that a game scheduled for Thursday evening was postponed due to the weather. A make-up date is to be determined.

Colorado

A reported tornado moved through Cheyenne County Thursday, scattering debris that caused westbound Highway 40 at Cheyenne Wells to be shut down.
Roadways in the area saw further trouble as two trucks were blown off the road 5 miles north of the line between Cheyenne and Kiowa counties, 11 News reports.

A storm near Colorado Springs pummeled the area with 1-inch diameter hail Thursday, according to AP. No injuries were reported.
People throughout the state took to social media to share posts of the torrent.

Lightning during a storm in Denver struck an airfield at the Denver International Airport, KDVR reports.

Plows had to be brought out at the airport to clear the runways, which became covered with hail Thursday during the storm.

The inclement weather led to 107 delays for flights at the Denver International Airport.
This is a developing story; please check back for frequent updates.