(Reuters) - Rain showers caused flooding on roads in parts of Texas on Saturday, an official said, after severe weather killed at least 22 people during the week and prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to declare a disaster in the state.
Texas has endured record rainfall for the month of May. This week, flooding turned streets into rivers, ripped homes off their foundations, swept over thousands of vehicles and trapped people in cars and houses.
Obama signed a disaster declaration late on Friday to free up federal funds to help rebuild areas of Texas affected by the storms. No estimate has been given for the damage in Texas.
Flash flood warnings were in place for several counties in North Texas, including Dallas County.
The National Weather Service forecast scattered thunderstorms along a cold front stretching from Texas into the northeastern United States.
There were reports of vehicles stuck in flooded streets in Rowlett, a community of nearly 60,000 residents northeast of Dallas, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Jamie Gudmestad.
Carrollton Police used a raft to help evacuate residents from Sandy Lake mobile home park, which was submerged from the weekend?s torrential rain.
A Lubbock policeman directing traffic around flooded areas was seriously injured when his patrol car was hit into him by a suspected drunk driver, the department said.
Gudmestad said that less than an inch of rain fell in other parts of north Texas, but it was enough to cause concern.
"Anything that falls to the ground, the ground is so saturated it's going to cause run-off," she said.
Rivers and lakes around cities such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio continued to swell above dangerous levels, officials said.
In neighboring Oklahoma, a man was shot dead by at least one state trooper when he fought with officers after being told to get away from rising water on a road near the town of Okmulgee.
In Wharton, about 60 miles (100 km) southwest of Houston, water has been rising steadily since Thursday when the Colorado River began flooding into the city and the mayor issued a mandatory evacuation order for about 900 people living nearby.
"We are hanging in there," said city spokeswoman Paula Favors. "No homes have been affected yet, we have about 35 homes evacuated.?
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
