Okla. declares state of emergency amid winter storm, flooding
Weather conditions for one of the busiest travel days of the year eased Sunday after heavy rain in Texas and icy roads north of there claimed 14 lives during the holiday weekend.
But a band of rain stretching from Tennessee into Arkansas, Oklahoma and north Texas persisted as families made their way home after Thanksgiving.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for all 77 Oklahoma counties due to the winter storm and flooding. Fallin's office said nearly 100,000 homes were still without power Sunday afternoon as a result of freezing rain, ice and sleet.
Power was out to an additional 10,000 in Kansas from earlier freezing rain, according to the Associated Press and Accuweather. But temperatures edged higher Sunday, offering some potential relief in both states, said Dan Pydnowski, senior meteorologist with Accuweather.
Rains continued in North Texas where waterways were already swollen and flood watches remained in effect, the AP reported. Seven people were pulled from swift water in a portion of the Trinity River in southeast Dallas Sunday afternoon, WFAA-TV reported. A Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson said four adults and three teenagers were fishing when they were swept away by high water.
Enchambe Bush, one of seven, said the group's boat hit trees and flipped, and that they were lucky not to have been taken further by the fast-moving current.
"Once it hit us, instincts can only kick in," Bush said. "It's like, 'Grab something, hold something [...] you know isn't going to float out into the middle of the lake.' We had our life jackets on, but there's only so much they can do."
In Seagoville, south of Dallas, three people and a dog were rescued from their home due to flooding, according to AP.
.Rain hammering north Texas over the holiday weekend reached an annual record of more than 56 inches, surpassing the previous high of 53.54 inches in 1991. This region should begin drying out by Monday, Pydnowski said.
"There is going to be more snow and wintry weather on the way. But it's going to be focused a little farther north. Areas like Oklahoma, North Texas and eastern Kansas won't be that bad" Monday, he said.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year, with peak highway congestion generally through 6 p.m., according to an analysis by Waze, a popular navigation app. An estimated 47 million Americans were expected to travel during this holiday, according to AAA.
Travel nationally appeared to be largely unimpeded Sunday, Pydnowski said. The exception was in and around Denver, where snow fell. "Nationally speaking, when taken as a whole, it's not too bad," he said of the overall travel conditions.
Eight people were killed Friday and Saturday in floods in North Texas, according to WFAA-TV in Dallas. At least six other people died in accidents on icy roads in Kansas, the AP reported.
Contributing: Greg Toppo, Paste BN. Follow Gregg Zoroya on Twitter: @GreggZoroya