Sunday, July 22, 2007


SAN ANTONIO, Jul. 22, 2007 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- The sun was finally out over South and Central Texas on Sunday after days of torrential rain that left an Amtrak train stranded, flooded roads and sent Boy Scouts on a camping trip fleeing for their lives.

As much as 17 inches of rain had fallen in some areas between 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday, said Pat McDonald, a National Weather Service forecaster. Dozens of people were rescued, some by helicopter, but no serious injuries were reported in the state's latest round of flooding.

Only isolated showers were forecast through Tuesday, but several Central Texas rivers were either at flood stage or expected to reach that level Sunday night or Monday, McDonald said. The high water posed little threat to homes but was a problem for some recreational areas and ranches, he said.

A Boy Scout troop from suburban Fort Worth camping on the Guadalupe River had to make a quick getaway early Saturday when the water rose rapidly. No one was injured, but the troop lost five vehicles, including its 15-passenger van, to the waters north of San Antonio, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

'I've never seen water rise like that,' Juan Ramirez, one of 15 Scouts on the outing, told the newspaper. 'We barely got out of our tent.'

An Amtrak train was halted Saturday morning in Knippa, a town about 75 miles west of San Antonio, after water covered the tracks, stranding 176 passengers.

Buses drove most passengers Saturday evening to El Paso, where they boarded another train and were under way by 10 p.m., Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said Sunday. A few passengers caught trains at other stops between San Antonio and El Paso, Graham said.

A woman who authorities say drove a minivan around road barricades south of Austin and became stuck in floodwaters with two children was charged with child endangerment.

Laura Delarosa, 30, of Dripping Springs, was arrested Saturday after rescue workers got her and the children _ a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy _ to safety.

The National Weather Service confirmed a small tornado east of San Antonio near Seguin on Saturday about 5:25 a.m. Four businesses and at least one house were damaged, Guadalupe County Sheriff's Cpl. John Batey said Saturday.

Meanwhile, mudslides in Colorado forced at least 125 people to evacuate their homes near Alpine, about 100 miles southwest of Denver, and roads into the area were closed.

At least 31 homes were damaged on two roads, said Page Croix, a dispatcher for the Chaffee County sheriff. 'It was a deluge,' she told The Denver Post. 'Mostly cars are totally buried.'

No injuries were reported, and a shelter was opened for displaced residents. The mudslides Saturday night were caused by several days of rain in the rugged, steep area.

Newstex ID: AP-0001-18315953


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