A third death has been confirmed from catastrophic Texas floods, governor says

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that a third person has been confirmed killed by catastrophic floods this month that prompted more than 500 rescues, damaged homes and businesses, and are still making some areas inaccessible.

Abbott said a person attempting to drive through floodwaters was swept away Monday.

The governor went to the city of Cotulla, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio, for a flyover to assess the damage of floodwaters he said have left some areas of the city still unreachable. The Nueces River reached major flood stage at 29 feet (8.8 meters), but has crested and is expected to continue to decline.

Other areas downstream will continue to see waters rise into early August, notably at the Lake Corpus Christi reservoir, Abbott said.

“Anyone living, working, commuting or just walking around areas downstream of the Nueces ... needs to be aware of possible dangers,” Abbott said.

The Central Texas area was pounded by rain for several days last week. Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall Thursday, but Abbott said state officials had not received any new reports of flooded homes or businesses from that storm.

The governor has already issued a disaster declaration for 59 counties and requested federal disaster help for 33 counties.