2016 – May 26-June 2, Flash Flooding/Flooding, esp. Fort Hood (June 2), TX — 16

— 16  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below (including four missing soldiers).

— 12  Huffington Post (Grenoble). “Flooding Kills Dozens in Europe and Texas…” 6-3-2016.[1]

— 11  AP. “5 dead, 4 missing after Army truck swept away in Texas…” 6-3-2016.[2]

—   7  CNN (Sutton). “Seven dead after record-setting floods in Texas, Kansas.” 5-31-2016.[3]

—   6  Weather Channel. “State of Disaster Declared in 31 Flooded Texas Counties…” 6-2-2016.

 

Fort Hood                  (9)

–9  June 2. CNN (Ellis/Visser/Karimi). “Texas floods: Fort Hood death toll rises to 9.” 6-4-2016.

 

Kendall County         (1)

— 1  Comfort, Cypress Creek, May 29. Female, 23, passenger of car swept from road 1:30 a.m.[4]

 

Parker County          (1)

— 1  May 28 (body found 31^st in Hood Co.). Boy, 10, swept into Brazos River while fishing.[5]

 

Travis County           (1)

— 1  May 29 (body found, possibly missing since Friday, May 27), near Circuit of the Americas.[6]

 

Washington County  (4)

–4  CNN (Sutton, et al.). “Seven dead after record-setting floods in Texas, Kansas.” 5-31-2016.

–1  May 27?, Washington, ~Chappell Hill. Drowning; Lela Holland, 64, inside mobile home.[7]

–1  May 26, Hwy 105 (body found May 26). Truck swept away/submerged; Darren Mitchell, 21.[8]

–1  May 26. Drowning; Pyarali Rajebhi Umatiya, 59, of college station, in submerged vehicle.[9]

–1  May 26? Drowning; Jimmy Wayne Schaeffer, 49 of Brenham; drove truck into high water.[10]

 

Narrative Information

 

May 27, CBS/AP: “Brenham, Texas — At least one person has died in Texas and three are missing after torrential rain caused floods that closed roads and schools, prompted evacuations, damaged homes and forced dozens of students to spend the night on campus, officials said Friday as they braced for more rains later in the day…. Brieden [Washington Co. Judge] said that in Washington County, located between Austin and Houston, one person has drowned and another person was missing after their vehicle was swept away.

 

“The missing man was identified by family members as 21-year-old Darren Mitchell… Mitchell called his sister Thursday evening [May 26] to tell her he was trapped in high water….But in a haunting Facebook post at 6:29 p.m., Mitchell shared a photo of from inside his submerged truck and wrote ‘And all I wanted to do was go home.’

 

“Friday morning [May 27], relatives found Mitchell’s truck overturned in water near Highway 105. He wasn’t inside….

 

“Meanwhile, an Austin-area official said two people were missing from a vehicle there….” (CBS/AP, Brenham, TX. “Texas flooding turns deadly, more rain expected.” 5-27-2016.)

 

May 27, WTRK, Houston: “Washington County, TX (KTRK) — Two people have died and one person is missing after severe storms dumped massive amounts of rain on Washington County.

 

“The Brenham Fire Department says one person died after they drowned inside their trailer home near Chappell Hill, Texas.

 

“Two people went missing after their vehicles were swept away by high water. The body of one of those drivers has been found, according to officials. The victim died of a heart attack after their vehicle was carried away in the floodwaters. The second driver is still missing.

 

“Angela Han with BFD says the first happened on Gayhill Road, and the second occurred on Meyersville near Highway 105 in the east end of Washington County.

 

May 29, AP: “….Flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country has left at least one person dead and widespread damage in at least one town. Kendall County sheriff’s Cpl. Reid Daly says Cypress Creek had flooded a street in the town of Comfort, about 45 miles north of San Antonio, when a car containing three people was swept from the street about 1:30 a.m. Sunday [May 29]. The driver made it to shore, and a female passenger was rescued from a tree. But Daly says 23-year-old Florida Molima was missing until her body was found around 11 a.m. Sunday about 8 miles downstream. She becomes the sixth flood-related death in Texas this Memorial Day weekend….

 

“2:55 p.m. Authorities say an aerial search in Central Texas has found the body of a flood victim near Austin.

 

May 29, The Weather Channel: “Six people have died and at least two more are missing in Texas after a severe storm system fired up once again in the Plains, bringing heavy rain and severe flooding to parts of the Plains. An 11-year-old boy is also missing in Wichita, Kansas, after being swept away when he fell into a creek.

 

“Sunday [May 29], a body was found in Travis County, Texas, by a crew conducting an aerial search. It is unclear whether the victim is one of the two motorists reported missing early Friday [May 27] after their vehicle was washed away by flash flooding. The body of a second woman was later discovered along the flooded Cypress Creek. Her vehicle is believed to have been swept away by flood waters early Sunday morning.

 

“A 10-year-old boy in Parker County, Texas, who was swept into the Brazos River remains missing.

 

“Saturday officials in Washington County, Texas, announced that the bodies of two missing motorists had been found in separate parts of the county located between Austin and Houston. One was identified as Darren Mitchell, who posted a photo from inside of his flooding vehicle to Facebook.

 

“The Brenham Fire Department told ABC 13 that one person died in a trailer home in Chappell Hill, Texas. The home was flooded as storms stalled over the Brenham area Thursday night. Another person died of a heart attack after their vehicle was swept away by the flood waters on Gayhill Road in Brenham, Texas….

 

“Sunday a crew aboard a county STAR Flight helicopter discovered a body in Travis County. The body was found on the north end of a retention pond by the Circuit of the Americas auto racing track, near where two people were reported to have been washed away by flooding early Friday, the Associated Press reports. It’s unclear whether the victim is one of the missing. The exact details of the incident are still unclear, but reports to police said the individual’s car had been swept off the road and one person was seen hanging onto a pole around 2:30 a.m, according to KXAN. There may have been another person with them.

 

“The bodies of two missing motorists were found Saturday in separate parts of Washington County, located between Austin and Houston. Washington County Judge John Brieden told the Associated Press that the body of Pyarali Rajebhi Umatiya, 59, of College Station, was found in a submerged vehicle. The body of Darren Charles Mitchell, 21, a National Guardsman from Navasota, was found downstream from where his overturned truck had been located earlier….

 

“Earlier in the week, one person was found dead in a mobile home that was swamped with floodwaters and a second person was found in a vehicle that had gone off of a road was submerged in a ditch.

 

“Saturday officials in Parker County searched for a 10-year-old boy that went missing after being swept into the Brazos River, CBS DFW reports. The boy had been fishing with friends when he fell into the water….” (The Weather Channel. “6 Dead, At Least 2 Missing as Flooding Soaks the Plains.” 5-29-2016.

 

May 31, USA Today: “With heavy rain continuing and one river forecast to crest at a record high level, Texas will expect little relief on Wednesday from flooding that claimed seven lives over the holiday weekend….

 

“Widespread rainfall totals are expected to reach 3 to 6 inches with some locations potentially seeing 7 to 9 inches, according to KENS5 in San Antonio.

 

“The National Weather Service has placed much of Texas under a flash flood watch. This includes the metro areas of Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

 

“Most of the deaths took place in rural Washington County, Texas, between Austin and Houston, where more than 16.5 inches of rain fell in some places late last week, the Associated Press reported.

 

June 2, Weather Channel: “Six people have died and possibly four more are missing as the Plains states continue to deal with flooding brought on by severe storms that repeatedly pounded the region last week. Rivers in the region are cresting at historic highs, prompting numerous evacuations and water rescues….

 

“The two latest confirmed deaths from flooding were discovered on Sunday. Florida Molima was riding in a car with two others near Comfort, Texas, when the vehicle was swept from the street by a flooded creek. The 23-year-old was missing until her body was found around 11 a.m. Sunday about 8 miles downstream….” (The Weather Channel (Eric Chaney). “State of Disaster Declared in 31 Flooded Texas Counties as Storms Dump More Rain.” 6-2-2016.)

 

June 3, AP: “Fort Hood, Texas (AP) — Five soldiers were killed and four were missing after an Army troop carrier was washed from a low-water crossing and overturned Thursday [June 2] in a rain-swollen creek at Fort Hood, the Texas Army post said. Three soldiers were found dead shortly after the 2 1/2-ton truck was toppled by the swift current of Owl Creek during a morning training exercise. Two more bodies were found late Thursday night, according to a Fort Hood statement. Three soldiers were rescued and were hospitalized in stable condition….

 

“Parts of Texas have been inundated with rain in the last week at least six deaths have been blamed on flooding and more than half of the state is under flood watches or warnings, including the counties near Fort Hood.

 

“Fort Hood spokesman John Miller said the crossing was flooded by two days of intermittent heavy rains when the swift water swept the truck, called a Light Medium Tactical Vehicle, from the road. The vehicle resembles a flatbed truck with a walled bed and is used to carry troops….” (AP. “5 dead, 4 missing after Army truck swept away in Texas flood.” 6-3-2016.)

 

June 3, Huffington Post: “….In Texas, floods have killed at least 12 people, including seven who died late last week and five soldiers from Fort Hood who died Thursday… Four other service members are still missing….” (Huffington Post (Ryan Grenoble). “Flooding Kills Dozens in Europe and Texas, Displaces Thousands More.” 6-3-2016.)

 

June 4, CNN: “With the recovery of four bodies on Friday, the death toll rose to nine in the overturning of an Army truck in floodwaters at Fort Hood, Texas, the Army said. Twelve soldiers were on a training mission when their vehicle became stuck in the flooded creek in a remote section of the post. Soldiers in a following vehicle rescued three of their comrades after the truck overturned, Maj. Gen. John Uberti told reporters….

 

“Christopher Haug, spokesman for the post, said the troops were learning to operate the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle and were not sent out in conditions too dangerous for training. “It was a situation where the rain had come and the water was rising quickly,” he said. “They regularly pass through these weather conditions like this. This was a tactical vehicle, and at the time they were in proper place. Just an unfortunate accident that occurred quickly.”…. Haug declined to go into detail about the training mission except to describe it as “routine.”

 

“Retired Col. Robert Morgan, however, told CNN affiliate KXXV-TV that the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle may not operate well in high waters. The truck, which is used to transport troops and cargo, sits from 6 to 8 feet off the ground….

 

“It’s the second year in a row that Texas has been hit by 500-year floods. Meteorologists and other experts point toward climate change or the weather pattern El Niño as potential culprits. “It could just be really bad luck,” said CNN senior meteorologist Brandon Miller. “A 500-year flood doesn’t mean you will go 500 years between them. It just means it is such an extreme event that the odds of it happening are very low, therefore it only happens on average every 500 years….”

(CNN (Ellis, Visser, and Karimi). “Texas floods: Fort Hood death toll rises to 9.” 6-4-2016.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press Juan A. Lozano and Jim Vertuno). “5 dead, 4 missing after Army truck swept away in Texas flood.” WSBT 22, South Bend, IN, 6-3-2016. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: http://wsbt.com/news/nation-world/5-dead-4-missing-after-army-truck-swept-away-in-texas-flood-06-03-2016

 

Associated Press, Houston. “The Latest: Woman Found Dead in Hill Country After Flood.” ABC News, 5-29-2016. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-search-kansas-boy-resume-39462765

 

CBS/AP, Brenham, TX. “Texas flooding turns deadly, more rain expected.” 5-27-2016, 6:52 PM. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-flooding-turns-deadly-more-rain-expected/

 

CNN (Joe Sutton, Madison Park and Mayra Cuevas). “Seven dead after record-setting floods in Texas, Kansas.” 5-31-2016. Accessed 6-4-2016 at: http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/29/us/flooding-texas-kansas/

 

CNN (Ralph Ellis, Steven Visser, Faith Karimi). “Texas floods: Fort Hood death toll rises to 9.” 6-4-2016. Accessed 6-4-2016 at: http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/03/us/texas-floods/index.html

 

Huffington Post (Ryan Grenoble). “Flooding Kills Dozens in Europe and Texas, Displaces Thousands More.” 6-3-2016. Accessed 6-4-2016 at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/texas-europe-flooding-photos_us_57519a3ae4b0c3752dcd5d60

 

KTRK, ABC 13, Houston. “Two Flood-Related Deaths in Washington County; One Person Still Missing.” 5-27-2016. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: http://abc13.com/news/two-dead-one-missing-in-washington-county/1358801/

 

The Weather Channel (Ada Carr). “6 Dead, At Least 2 Missing as Flooding Soaks the Plains.” 5-29-2016. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/plains-severe-weather-outbreak-flooding-tornado-impacts

 

The Weather Channel (Eric Chaney). “State of Disaster Declared in 31 Flooded Texas Counties as Storms Dump More Rain.” 6-2-2016. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/plains-severe-weather-outbreak-historic-flooding-continues

 

USA Today (Doyle Rice). “Texas floods deliver snakes, ants, debris to neighborhoods.” 5-31-2016. Accessed 6-3-2016 at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/05/31/deadly-texas-flooding-continues/85184320/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Texas death total includes only the first five drowned Texas soldiers at Fort Hood in that four were still missing.

[2] Notes that in addition to the five drowned soldiers and 4 missing, “Parts of Texas have been inundated with rain in the last week [and] at least six deaths have been blamed on flooding…”

[3] “….Four were killed in Washington County…One…in Travis Count; another…in Kendall County; and another was found dead in Hood County.”

[4] AP, Houston. “The Latest: Woman Found Dead in Hill Country After Flood.” ABC News, 5-29-2016. Another source identified victim as Florida Molima. Notes two others were in the vehicle and survived. (The Weather Channel. “State of Disaster Declared in 31 Flooded Texas Counties as Storms Dump More Rain.” 6-2-2016.

[5] The Weather Channel (Carr). “6 Dead, At Least 2 Missing as Flooding Soaks the Plains.” 5-29-2016. Notation of recovery of body in Hood County from: CNN. “Seven dead after record-setting floods in Texas, Kansas.” 5-31-2016, which notes this was “three days after he was reported to have slipped into the water about 15 miles upriver.”

[6] AP, Houston. “The Latest: Woman Found Dead in Hill Country After Flood.” ABC News, 5-29-2016.

[7] KTRK, ABC 13. “Two Flood-Related Deaths in Washington County; One Person Still Missing.” 5-27-2016. Victim identified as Lela Holland, 64, who “drowned when floodwaters overtook her Washington home, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

[8] CBS/AP, Brenham, TX. “Texas flooding turns deadly, more rain expected.” 5-27-2016, 6:52 PM.

[9] CNN (Joe Sutton, Madison Park and Mayra Cuevas). “Seven dead after record-setting floods in Texas, Kansas.” 5-31-2016. The Weather Channel (Ada Carr). “6 Dead, At Least 2 Missing as Flooding Soaks the Plains.” 5-29-2016.

[10] We put a question mark after the date in that the date is not given. The May 29 report, after noting three other Washington County deaths, notes: “Earlier in the week, a…person was found in a vehicle that had gone off of a road…submerged in a ditch.”