Floodwaters Soak S. Oklahoma

Several people were evacuated from homes across central Oklahoma on Tuesday after heavy rains poured over the state overnight.

Fire crews evacuated several homes in Canadian County because of high water, according to a sheriff's department spokesman and witnesses at the scene, KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City reported.

Canadian County Emergency Management Director Jerry Smith said some residents of El Reno who live near State Highway 66 had to be rescued from vehicles and homes Tuesday morning by firefighters using boats.

Smith said there will be property damage in the homes because "the water is rising" but said he did not know of any injuries.

The El Reno area has measured 4.8 inches of rain in three days, and nearly 10 inches has fallen in southwest Oklahoma's Jefferson County.

In Oklahoma City, emergency workers also helped people in a neighborhood where a creek overflowed its banks on both sides of several homes.

Meteorologist Andy Wallace advised people who live in northern Grady and southern Canadian counties to keep a close eye on weather conditions. A virtual train of rain is moving over an already-saturated area, and the potential for flooding is a concern.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for urban areas and small streams in Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan and Oklahoma counties in central Oklahoma.

Wallace said initial tallies from Will Rogers World Airport make this August the wettest in Oklahoma City-area history, surpassing 2007's totals in the aftermath of Hurricane Erin.

Nearly a foot of water has fallen in southern Oklahoma, leading to flooding in Jefferson County. In the past 24 hours, nearly 10½ inches of rain has fallen in Waurika. Water in homes has been reported there, as well as flooded roads in the area.

Drivers headed east out of town on Highway 70 and south on Highway 81 should be particularly careful, meteorologist Andy Wallace said.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said State Highway 5B was closed between U.S. Highway 70 and State Highway 5A in Cotton County. Two highways were closed in Canadian County -- State Highway 4 north of Yukon and State Highway 66 at three separate locations.

Water Receding In Texas

Parts of Texas were still dealing with flooding caused by weekend torrential rains.

Although floodwaters were receding in southern Texas, it's different up north.

Flooding was reported in parts of northwest Texas, near Wichita Falls. A flash flood warning is in effect from Decatur to Wichita Falls. Some roads are blocked by standing water, including sections of Interstate 44.

In the Dallas suburb of Garland, a buildup of rainwater was blamed for the collapse of the roof on a strip shopping center. Eight businesses were damaged.

In towns near the Rio Grande on Monday, emergency officials used boats to pluck dozens of people from their flooded houses. An estimated 1,400 homes in Starr County were flooded.

In Roma, about 200 miles south of San Antonio, 8 inches of rain fell in three hours Monday. The area hadn't yet recovered from Hurricane Dolly, which hit last month.