[Windmill360]

No relief expected from Texas, Oklahoma rain
11 deaths reported as rescue crews struggle to keep up with emergencies

By Alex Johnson
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 11 minutes ago

Rain poured down Thursday for the 16th straight day across Texas and Oklahoma, where flash floods and high winds have already killed 11 people. With little relief expected until the Fourth of July, emergency crews were being flown in from other states to help with rescue efforts.

The rain comes on top of ground already soaked by unusually heavy rainfall this year. Dallas and Oklahoma City, both of which average about 33 inches a year, have already recorded more than 30 inches, and NBC’s Jay Gray reported that some isolated areas of central Texas had recorded more rainfall just this month than they did in all of 2006.

The storm was being driven by a tropical air mass that was stubbornly refusing to budge over south central Texas. NBC WeatherPlus forecasters predicted that the air mass would remain in place for several more days, spawning showers and thunderstorms daily into next week.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19458181/