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Texas Flash Floods: More Than 200 Rescued

Texas Flash Floods: More Than 200 Rescued

Flash floods caused by torrential downpours in San Antonio, Texas, have left at least one person dead and sparked a huge rescue mission to help hundreds of stranded drivers and residents.

A woman who became trapped while driving managed to get onto the roof of her car but was swept away, firefighters said. Her body was later found near a fence.

Authorities are searching for at least two other people - one who went missing after being trapped in another car and a teenage boy who was swept away while trying to cross a swollen river.

A bus became trapped in rising floodwaters but firefighters on an inflatable boat were able to rescue the three passengers on board and the driver.

More than 235 rescues have taken place across the city since the floods started in the early hours of Saturday.

Authorities said rescue teams would continue searching for anyone who might be stranded.

San Antonio International Airport got 9.87 inches (27 cm) of rain by Saturday afternoon, causing nearly all streams and rivers to experience "extraordinary flooding", meteorologists said.

The highest amount of rainfall recorded since midnight was 15.5 inches (45 cm) at Olmos Creek at Dresden Drive.

By Saturday evening, the water was receding in much of San Antonio, but pools of water could still be seen in some low-lying areas.

Roads in several counties were closed, including a major highway that links the suburbs and the city.

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro urged people not to drive.

The National Weather Service called the region's flooding "a life-threatening situation" similar to what happened in October 1998.

Up to 30 inches (90 cm) of rain fell in a two-day period, causing floods in the Guadalupe and San Antonio River basins that left more than 30 people dead, according to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.