Two killed in floods as Texas braces for 'record-shattering' rainfall

Two people were killed in Texas after floodwaters swept away their vehicles as torrential rains battered parts of the state, prompting officials to warn of "record-shattering" rainfall over the next 24 hours.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said emergency responders had carried out 230 rescues, including the helicopter rescue of a man and his dog from a stranded truck.

The state has deployed 2,350 emergency responders and 1,400 pieces of emergency equipment, including Black Hawk helicopters and swiftwater rescue boats, to help communities affected by the flooding. Officials said the extensive response is aimed at preventing a repeat of last year's devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country, where at least 135 people, including 27 children and counselors at a summer camp, lost their lives.

"We're facing record-shattering rainfall that leads to very dangerous flooding. We want to do everything we possibly can to protect our lives," Abbott said during a news briefing.

According to the National Weather Service, between 10 and 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain fell across parts of the Texas Hill Country over the past two days. The region includes Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River, where last year's deadly flooding occurred.

Abbott said the latest victims were a man whose recreational vehicle was swept away and a woman whose vehicle was overtaken by floodwaters.

The governor urged residents to avoid traveling until the storms ease, which is expected by late Friday. He said flood-related damage has affected about 125 roadway sections across the state, with 87 roads closed, including a bridge struck by a barge.

Officials identified Uvalde and Johnson City as areas of greatest concern. Forecasters said the Nueces River near Uvalde is expected to rise above its record crest set in 1996, while the Frio and Pedernales rivers could reach some of their highest levels on record. -Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Chris Reese/Reuters