AccuWeather.com

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Sep 8, 2010; 6:00 AM ET

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As Tropical Rainstorm Hermine continues to unleash torrential rain, parts of central Texas are under water. Hundreds of evacuations, high water rescues and closures of major stretches of highway are resulting the flooding in the hardest-hit areas.

The Austin and San Antonio areas have been clobbered by extreme rainfall amounts ranging from 3-6 inches with locally higher amounts of around 10 inches as of early Wednesday morning. Multiple high water rescues and evacuations are occurring in these cities and others through central Texas as floodwaters continue to rise.

This life-threatening situation will be made worse as more heavy rain pours down in this zone today into tonight.

The radar below shows the heaviest zone of rain deluging Texas and expanding northward into Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Radar shows the bulk of rain is still to the south of the city.

Many reports have been coming out of Killeen, Texas, of waist-deep floodwaters with cars being entirely submerged in some areas. One death has been confirmed in a submerged vehicle near Reese Creek. The devastating flooding has forced the evacuation of residents of the town.

Evacuations were also underway early Wednesday morning in Florence, Texas.

Several feet of floodwaters are swamping parts of the Southwestern University campus in Georgetown, Texas. Interstate 35 is closed in both directions through Georgetown due to the high water.

Homes and businesses are also taking in water in several communities, especially those near creaks and streams that are flood-prone during heavy rain events.

History of Hermine and Damage

Tropical Storm Hermine, packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, roared onshore over extreme northeastern Mexico, about 40 miles south of Brownsville at 8:30 p.m. CDT Monday. Northeastern Mexico and southern Texas were first lashed by torrential rainfall and tropical storm-force winds.

Wind gusts of around 70 mph lashed cities like Brownsville and Harlingen as the tropical storm moved through southern Texas. Roofs were torn off some buildings, while scores of trees and power lines were downed. Thousands of power outages occurred with some areas still in the dark.

Downpours of 2-5 inches and locally higher amounts soaked parts of southern Texas that were already hit by Hurricane Alex earlier this summer.

Northeastern Mexico and southern Texas got slammed by Hurricane Alex late in June and into early July of 2010. Around half a foot of rain fell in Brownsville, Texas, and higher amounts flooded the higher terrain of northern Mexico.

The Hidalgo County Emergency Management Coordinator told Associated Press that it was just a week ago that the county shut off its last water pump from flooding of the Rio Grande River following Alex and another tropical system in July.

Fortunately, Hermine's track stayed east of Laredo, sparing the Rio Grande Valley of the worst case flooding scenario. This is because the heaviest rain has been falling on Hermine's northern and western flank.

Hermine maintained its strength as a tropical storm into Tuesday evening, but the friction from being over land eventually led to the weakening of the storm's circulation and winds. The storm was downgraded to a depression at 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday.

Despite the weakened winds, Hermine will continue to pack quite a punch as a major rain producer, while it tracks northeastward over the southern Plains and toward the mid-Mississippi Valley through the end of the week.

Related to the Story:

2010 Hurricane Center

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