At least two people have died in flooding in Texas caused by heavy rains, CBS News reports, citing state Governor Greg Abbott.

According to him, one man died in the Comfort area, while the second died near Uvalde. Abbott urged residents to avoid floodwaters and move to higher ground if threatened.

The governor said rescuers had carried out more than 230 operations, evacuating people from homes and flooded vehicles. In Uvalde, police advised residents living near the Leon River to leave low-lying areas because of the threat of a sudden rise in water levels.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service, about 22 inches of rain (approximately 56 cm) have fallen in Uvalde since the beginning of the week. In some parts of the state, rainfall exceeded two feet (about 61 cm), and in places rain was falling at rates of up to three inches per hour (about 7.6 cm/h).

Abbott уточнил, что к ликвидации последствий привлечены около 2,3 тыс. сотрудников экстренных служб. В распоряжении спасателей находятся более 85 лодок, 21 воздушное судно и свыше 200 автомобилей повышенной проходимости.