In Texas and Oklahoma, at least 4 are dead after severe storms

Flooding in Texas. — (Image credit: Twitter.com/BusinessInsider)

Four people are confirmed dead after heavy rains hit Texas and Oklahoma over the weekend.

In Oklahoma, three people died, including a firefighter who was swept into a storm drain in Claremore during a high-water rescue on Sunday, CNN reports. In Texas, one person died in San Marcos and 12 are missing in Hays County, where 400 homes have washed away in flooding. The National Weather Service says that river and creek banks can't contain all of the rain that has fallen, and the ground is so saturated that "only an inch or two of rainfall could quickly lead to more flash flooding concerns." Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) added 24 counties to the 13 already under an emergency disaster declaration, which lets the state use resources "reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster." This week's forecast predicts more thunderstorms, high winds, hail, and tornadoes.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.