Texas Thunderstorms Raise New Flood Fears

Powerful thunderstorms hit Houston late today, raising new flooding fears hours after President Obama signed a disaster declaration for Texas after recent storms and flooding claimed at least 26 lives in the state.

The storms, that brought hail and heavy downpours, moved quickly through te area, but Harris County Flood Control District spokesman Jeff Lindner officials are monitoring watersheds and bayous

The White House announced that Obama ordered federal assistance to the areas affected by the storms and floods that began on May 4. The action by the president will make funding available to the counties of Harris, Hays and Van Zandt.

Earlier, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested a presidential disaster declaration for his state.

"Communities across the state of Texas have experienced devastating destruction, injury and -- most tragically -- loss of life due to the major and unceasing severe weather system that has been impacting our state for weeks," Abbott said. "I am extremely proud of the way that our first responders, local officials, law enforcement and Texas citizens have come together to protect and support one another in this time of crisis. I am requesting disaster assistance from the federal government to ensure that families, businesses and communities who have experienced hardship as a result of these severe storms have access to all possible resources as they recover and rebuild."

Meanwhile, two areas of heavy rain and strong thunderstorms were working their way across the southern plains and Mississippi River Valley Saturday morning. One was intensifying as it headed to the east of Midland, Texas, moving south and east towards Dallas and Houston.

The other area of heavy rain was moving east of Little Rock and St. Louis. Both areas could experience one to two inches per hour rainfall rates in spots.

ABC station KTRK in Houston reported that the city of Rosenberg, Texas, issued a mandatory evacuation for areas along the Brazos River. It is expected to crest Monday morning at 50 feet, barring any major additional rainfall.

On Friday, rising floodwaters continued to grip Texas, with drivers stranded and traffic stalled, as authorities raised the total number of storm-related fatalities for the state to at least 23.

"That is rising water, coming very fast, very hard, and there is nothing that we can do to stop that other than to stay out of its way," said W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

On Friday, Capt. Kelly Turner of the Mesquite Fire Department told ABC News that at 4 a.m., as members of the fire department were rescuing five people caught up in the waters, another car was swept away.

Turner said that when rescuers recovered that car, they found the body of a man. His identity had not yet been released. It was the first death related to the recent storms in Mesquite, Texas. Also on Friday, the Coast Guard said a body they'd found on the beach this morning belonged to a man reported missing Thursday.

A police officer redirecting traffic from deep waters in Dallas Friday had to be harnessed and airlifted out of the area after his sport utility vehicle got trapped.

Up to three inches of rain is likely this weekend for eastern Texas, with some isolated spots picking up to five inches of rain. A total of 70 counties are under a state of disaster but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that number would likely rise.

In Wimberley, Texas, at least seven people remained missing almost a week after the Blanco River rushed its banks, carrying homes off their foundations. Thousands have been forced to evacuate because of dangerous downpours, torrential rains and even tornadoes. Since Sunday, more than 100 twisters have been reported across the Plains; more than 30 have been reported in Texas alone.

"The river hasn't crested yet and there's still rain coming," said resident Linny Campbell. "It don't look good for us."

The National Weather Service said that with all the rain that's fallen in Texas just in the month of May, there was enough water to spread across the entire state up to eight inches -- totaling more than 43 trillion gallons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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