Heavy rains continue to plague parts of Texas

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- High winds damaged homes and toppled power lines as several twisters pounded central and southeast Texas, flooding roadways and stranding travelers.

Dozens of flights were delayed or canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as the storms moved through northern Texas, forcing many passengers to stay overnight at terminals.

One tornado touched down in Montgomery County at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Fox said. No injuries were reported.

However, the severe weather that began Thursday with the slow passage of a cold front and upper-level low pressure system through the state was responsible for flooding that claimed six lives.

In central Texas on Sunday, homes were damaged by high winds at Burnet. Numerous funnel clouds were sighted in the San Antonio area, with reports of wind damage in Bexar and Medina counties.

"We've had very high winds. They tore a hole in the roof of a church and cars were damaged by flying debris," Jordan Johnson, a Medina County sheriff's dispatcher, said early Monday.

Storms dumped heavy rains, prompting a flash flood watch in northern Texas, southeast Texas and along the Gulf Coast. Roadway flooding was reported in Paris and Sulphur Springs in northeast Texas.

A new record for rainfall in a 24-hour period was set at Dallas-Fort Worth airport on Sunday, when 2.14 inches of rain surpassed the earlier mark of 1.59 inches set in 1957. It left three-hour delays for some.

Officials in Sonora said lightning sparked a fire at a chemical warehouse that prompted the evacuation of about 200 residents in the West Texas town Sunday afternoon. Two evacuees were hospitalized and treated for smoke inhalation.

Six deaths are blamed on flooding since Thursday.

Sheila Pyle, a 45-year-old Trinity County deputy, died Friday night in a head-on collision near Apple Springs in East Texas when her patrol car hydroplaned and hit an ambulance. The driver and a passenger in the ambulance received minor injuries.

Three people died Friday in the flood waters.

Roy Bagby, 79, drowned Friday night when his pickup was swept away in high water in Mason County, the Mason County sheriff's department said Sunday.

Alan David Grierson, a folk singer and songwriter, was found dead Friday about two miles from where he drove his car into high water in Gillespie County, west of Austin.

An 82-year-old Cedar Point woman died in her car after driving into the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Two teen-agers, Ryan Hastings and Nancy Adair died Thursday in San Antonio when their car spun into oncoming traffic on a wet road and was struck by another vehicle.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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