Texas Flood Evacuees Wait on Fate

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of residents near the overflowing Wichita and Brazos rivers remained out of their north Texas homes Sunday, uncertain of when they could return.

Wichita Falls officials had urged residents in low-lying areas to leave Friday and weren’t sure when they could return because of concerns about contaminants in the water, the city’s spokesman Barry Levy said.

The National Weather Service said the Wichita River was slowly dropping Sunday after leaving some areas under 6 feet of water.

At least 200 people were still displaced from their homes near the Brazos River in Parker County west of Fort Worth. Some homes sustained minor damage, but up to 4 feet of water had seeped into others, said Shawn Scott, Parker County’s emergency management coordinator.

Some residents had been allowed to return Saturday, but hours later authorities encouraged them to seek higher ground as water released from flood gates on upstream dams moved downstream, Scott said.

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