HOUSTON – Officials say another person has died in the widespread flooding across the greater Houston area, raising the death toll to eight. The victim died in Austin County.
Six people in Harris County are confirmed dead, one person in Waller County and one person in Austin County.
A woman was driving home from work when she drove into high water on Plum Creek Road and was killed, the Austin County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Firefighters tried to rescue her, but the water was too deep and fast moving. Crews on a rescue boat later found her body.
[LIST OF HIGH WATER LOCATIONS]
Teri Rodriguez, a mother of three children, drowned after she drove her vehicle into a drainage ditch at 1807 Briar Creek Boulevard.
Pedro Morales, a 61-year-old big rig driver, died in the storms when his 18-wheeler was submerged in the 800 block of N. Sam Houston Parkway East near the Hardy Toll Road.
Charles Odum, a school teacher, beloved at his school, died inside his car after it was submerged in deep waters in Waller County.
Odum, 56, taught seventh-graders at Royal Junior High and will be missed by his students.
Sunita Singh, a wife and mother of two children, died in the flooding when she drove her car into dangerous waters in the 3600 block of 610 West Loop South near Highway 59. Singh was 49.
Suresh Talluri was found dead in the same area as Singh. The 36-year-old leaves behind a wife and two elementary-age children.
German Antonio Franco, 66, was found in his car submerged in water on Imperial Valley Drive in Spring. Franco was a father of three.
The body of Claudia Melgar, 25, was found inside her Dodge SUV in the 5000 block of Westpark Drive and South Post Oak Blvd.
The families of two victims, Rodriguez and Talluri, have set up GoFundMe accounts to help pay for expenses related to their deaths.
The National Weather Service released a video showing how quickly a situation turns deadly in flood-related incidents. It takes just 12 inches of flowing water to carry off a small car; and 18 to 24 inches for larger vehicles.
More than half of the deaths from flooding each year occur in vehicles.