Flooding death toll rises to 17 in Texas

At least 17 people have died at the hands of a severe storm in Texas and Oklahoma.

Flood waters are slowly starting to recede in Houston, where a record-breaking four inches of rain in just a few short hours wreaked havoc and led to at least three deaths.

Highways in the US fourth-largest city turned to rivers and entire neighbourhoods became lakes.

Hundreds of people had to be rescued from floodwaters, homes and stranded vehicles.

Snakes and other creatures were seen creeping into homes, searching for higher ground.

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The Daily Mail reported the storm left hundreds of basketball fans trapped in the Toyota Center for more than six hours after a Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors game.

Fans were asked not to leave because of severe weather.

Rockets star Dwight Howard stayed with fans into the night and helped to entertain them.

Eight of those who are still missing are from one holiday house that was washed off its foundation and smashed into a bridge.
Five adults and three children from two different families are assumed dead.

A mother made one final, frantic phone call as her home was being washed away by flash flood waters on the Blanco River on Sunday night.

'I'm in a house. I'm floating down the river. Tell mom and dad. I love you, and pray,' 33-year-old Laura McComb told her sister, KXAN-TV reports.

Mrs McComb and her two children Andrew, 6, and Leighton, 4, are among the people still missing following flash floods near the popular holiday spot of Wimberley over Memorial Day weekend.

News break - May 27/region