"Storms Kill 17 in Texas, Oklahoma; Houston Flooded"

"Torrential rains have killed at least 17 people in Texas and Oklahoma, including four in Houston where floods turned streets into rivers and led to about 1,000 calls for help in the fourth-most populous U.S. city, officials said on Tuesday.

The death toll is set to rise with numerous people still missing in Texas after the storms slammed the states during the Memorial Day weekend, causing record floods that destroyed hundreds of homes, swept away bridges, and even unearthed a coffin from a Houston cemetery. It washed ashore on the banks of a bayou.

"A lot of folks drove their car into high water and had to abandon those vehicles," Houston Mayor Annise Parker said at a news conference."

Kristen Hays and Amanda Orr report for Reuters May 26, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"In Texas, the Race to Build in Harm’s Way Outpaces Flood-Risk Studies and Warming Impacts" (Dot Earth)

"Floods Cause More Than 100K Gallons of Wastewater To Spill" (Houston Chronicle)

"Wastewater Overflows From 10 Austin Plants After Flooding" (KXAN Austin)

"Lake Travis, Austin's Main Reservoir, Rises Astonishing 22 Feet in 1 Week" (Mashable)