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Texas flooding kills 2, prompts dozens of rescues

 
A man wades with two dogs through floodwaters on Thursday in Austin, Texas. Dozens of people were rescued after more than a foot of rain drenched the state’s midsection.
A man wades with two dogs through floodwaters on Thursday in Austin, Texas. Dozens of people were rescued after more than a foot of rain drenched the state’s midsection.
Published Nov. 1, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas — 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. Two men died in the flooding, authorities said.

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.

The Caldwell County Sheriff's office said a man died Thursday after driving on a flooded road and being swept out of his vehicle in Dale, south of Austin. Austin police said a man's body was found in a flooded creek in the city.

Emergency crews in and around Austin responded to more than 100 rescue calls, often with boats and life rafts.

The Red Cross deployed two relief trucks from Fort Worth to Austin to aid flood victims with cleanup.