The rain kept falling and falling across Texas -- some parts of the state saw more than 20 inches in recent days. Here are five things you should know about the deluge:
1. How much fell in North Texas?
Navarro County was hardest hit. Corsicana, about an hour south of Dallas, recorded more than 21 inches, the National Weather Service says. There was an unofficial report of 28.9 inches of rain in Dawson, a small town in Navarro County.
In North and Central Texas, everyone got some rain. Waco reported more than 11 inches. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport recorded more than 7 inches of rain. Denton saw more than 5 inches. Sherman recorded more than 4 inches. Paris got nearly 7 inches.
2. It was really bad in Corsicana.
All that water made driving a mess. Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston had to be shut down in Corsicana repeatedly throughout the weekend. There was also a levee breach west of I-45. Navarro County officials performed dozens of high water rescues, getting calls from people stuck in cars, homes and businesses.
A Union Pacific freight train derailed near Corsicana early Saturday morning. Chambers Creek was overflowing and washed out the tracks. Two crewmembers were on board – they escaped by swimming to safety. Nobody was hurt.
The Corsicana school district delayed school until 10 a.m. today. Several other school districts in Navarro County are closed today because the roads aren’t safe. They plan to reopen Tuesday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKVmMVe1xOo
BREAKING: Flash flood emergency issued for Corsicana, TX until 10 pm! Rainfall closing in on a FOOT @breakingweather pic.twitter.com/AgrCKftrZq — Reed Timmer (@reedtimmerTVN) October 23, 2015
3. Rain fell all over Texas.
In Central Texas, parts of Bastrop County saw more than 10 inches and parts of Fayette County saw more than 14 inches. Bexar County saw anywhere from 2 to nearly 6 inches. Parts of Houston saw nearly 11 inches.
Closed roads have reopened in Austin and swollen bayous around Houston have receded. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Fire Department chief says a man who was swept into a flooded drainage ditch amid drenching rains has been found safe.
Remnants of Hurricane Patricia and a separate storm system combined to create the biggest deluge in Texas since torrential rains in May washed away homes and killed dozens. But Scott Overpeck, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said a hot and dry summer allowed the ground to soak up more water this time.
4. Houston learned lessons from the spring floods.
Authorities are crediting lessons learned from deadly spring flooding for the low number of stranded drivers and high-water rescues following drenching storms brought by the remnants of Hurricane Patricia.
Authorities said Sunday that only about two dozen cars around Houston were towed from flooded streets. Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for Harris County's emergency management division, says residents heeded warnings this time around.
At least 2,500 vehicles were stranded around Houston after Memorial Day storms dumped heavy rains and damaged thousands of homes.
5. It's been a very wet year.
The summer was dry, but a moist spring and the late October rain helped fill the rain gauge. Dallas-Fort Worth has seen more than 46 inches of rain so far in 2015 – that’s the seventh wettest year on record, the National Weather Service says.
Coming up: The Halloween forecast calls for rain
Heavy rain is possible once again in North Texas on Friday and Saturday. Areas south of Dallas-Fort Worth could see the most rain, including Waco, the National Weather Service says. But the week is young, so the forecast could change.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
