Texas Flooding Derails Train, Crew Members Rescued

The area had nearly 2 feet of rain in 24 hours
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2015 3:43 PM CDT
Texas Flooding Derails Train, Crew Members Rescued
A road sign is partially submerged in Texas, where three days of heavy rains have caused flooding around the state. A train heading to Houston derailed Saturday when tracks were washed away.   (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Two crew members had to be rescued when flooding in Texas overturned a 64-car Union Pacific freight train on its way to Houston early Saturday morning, NBC News reports. Navarro County, where the train was derailed around 3:30am local time, had received nearly 2 feet of rain in 24 hours, and more was expected with what's left of Hurricane Patricia heading into the area. According to the AP, a creek overflowed and washed away the train tracks. "[The crew] escaped the train after it stopped and swam to high ground," a Union Pacific spokesperson tells the AP. "A Navarro County rescue team was able to get in and pull them to safety. They are back safe on dry ground."

Despite several rail cars and a locomotive ending up partially underwater, no injuries were reported in the train crash, NBC reports. The train—which is carrying cement or gravel—was still on its side hours later, with crews waiting until water levels drop before they attempt to remove it. After three days of heavy rains, Navarro County has carried out five dozen water rescues. According to the AP, only one person is missing so far in the recent Texas flooding. A man walking his dog in San Antonio fell into a flooded draining ditch and was swept away. His dog was later found safe. (More flooding stories.)

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