Downpours kill two in parched central Texas

AUSTIN, Texas – Two men were killed as heavy rains across central Texas swelled rivers and creeks and triggered flash flooding Thursday, prompting dozens of rescues across a region that’s been dealing with a long, punishing drought.

About 10 miles south of Austin, one frightening rescue involved a couple whose SUV was swept away by floodwaters. They were forced to cling to trees for hours until a helicopter rescued them on Halloween morning.

In all, the National Weather Service said, more than a foot of rain fell across Texas’ midsection, including up to 14 inches in Wimberley, southwest of the state capital.

The storm system stretched across much of the nation, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, and carried heavy rain and strong winds. In south Texas, Houston motorists were slowed during morning rush hour because of downpours and sporadic flooding.

Austin police reported that the body of a man 50 to 60 years old was found Thursday in the city’s flooded Onion Creek. The body was found in a pile of flood-strewn debris Thursday afternoon, according to a police report.

Earlier, the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV reported that the Caldwell County sheriff’s office said a man died Thursday after driving on a low-lying portion of road overtaken by flooding. The victim was swept out of his vehicle in Dale, south of Austin.

No identities have been released for either man.

Emergency crews in and around Austin responded to more than 100 rescue calls, often with boats and life rafts, but few were more harrowing than one in the town of Buda.

Around 4 a.m., rescuers near Little Bear Creek spotted a man and his girlfriend in trees about 200 yards from the roadway.

Fire Capt. Craig Odell said rescuers encouraged the pair to “hang on” until the helicopter arrived. The man and woman, whose names were not released, estimated they were in the water about four hours before they were hoisted to safety, Odell said.

“They’re definitely very lucky,” Odell said. Both victims suffered lacerations and were treated for hypothermia; the man broke his nose.

By Thursday afternoon, the skies had cleared in much of the state and a warm sun was shining.