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RICHMOND, Texas (AP) — A river in southeastern Texas has reached a record-high crest -- just two years after it ran dry in some places because of drought.
The National Weather Service says the Brazos (BRAZ'-uhs) River crested at nearly 54 feet today in Fort Bend County, just southwest of Houston. That eclipsed the previous record by three feet.
Aerial photos from over the weekend showed large areas of the county under water. As of this morning, according to the Houston Chronicle, about 1,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in the area.
The skies have been clear in the region today, but an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain expected later this week could keep the Brazos in major flood stage into the weekend.
During four days of torrential rain last week, six people died in floods along the Brazos, which runs from New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico.
%@AP Links
110-a-11-(Jeff Braun, coordinator, Fort Bend County emergency management, in AP interview)-"last two days"-Jeff Braun, who's with Fort Bend County emergency management, says some homeowners near the Brazos River ignored evacuation orders. ((Brazos is pronounced BRAZ'-uhs)) (31 May 2016)
<<CUT *110 (05/31/16)££ 00:11 "last two days"
111-a-11-(Jeff Braun, coordinator, Fort Bend County emergency management, in AP interview)-"costly to repair"-Jeff Braun, who's with Fort Bend County emergency management, says the cleanup will be extensive after this round of flooding. ((Brazos is pronounced BRAZ'-uhs)) (31 May 2016)
<<CUT *111 (05/31/16)££ 00:11 "costly to repair"
APPHOTO TXAUS101: Responders with Texas Search and Rescue search for a flood victim in a pond near SH 130 and FW 812 in Austin, Texas, Tuesday May 31, 2016. National Weather Service meteorologists predicted the Brazos River would crest at 53.5 feet by midday Tuesday in Fort Bend County. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP) (31 May 2016)
<<APPHOTO TXAUS101 (05/31/16)££
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