Tampa Red Cross deploys to aid in Texas flooding
TAMPA (FOX 13) - This holiday weekend, Red Cross volunteers from the Tampa Bay area will be heading to Houston, Texas to assist with flooding relief efforts sparked by Thursday and Friday’s storms.
The National Weather Service said an EF1 tornado hit about 100 miles northwest of Houston on Thursday and more than 16.5 inches of rain fell in some areas of Texas. This week’s torrential rains have left two people dead, five others missing and led to more than 50 water rescues. Officials say the tornado that hit in Bryan, TX damaged 153 homes and 53 of those homes suffered major damage.
As rivers and waterways continue to rise, many homes are still in danger of flooding. American Red Cross volunteers from around the country have put their Memorial Day weekend festivities on hold to help provide support to Texas victims in need.
Although the rains have subsided, flooding is expected to continue to pose hazards to the residents of the Houston Texas area. Harris County officials have asked about 750 families to evacuate their homes and apartments on Saturday and officials warned residents north of Houston that even elevated homes are at risk for flooding.
Tampa volunteers began deployment procedures Saturday evening and will resume again Sunday morning.