North Texas Reports Record Rainfall
2004 07 01
 DALLAS - Rain swept across northern Texas for a record 18th consecutive day on Wednesday following flooding that chased people out of their homes and a major amusement park.
Up to 7 inches of rain fell in a three-hour period early Wednesday in southern Texas and the San Antonio area, the National Weather Service said. The 18 consecutive days of rain in northern Texas was a record for June.
No deaths or injuries were reported, but flooding closed the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington on Tuesday.
However, drier air had started moving into southern Texas, and northern Texas is expected to dry out over the weekend after several more scattered storms, Dan Dixon of the weather service said Wednesday.
"It looks like this is probably the end of the really drenching rainfall," Dixon said.
In Real County, west of San Antonio, 22 people had to be rescued from a residential area early Tuesday when the Frio River flooded. The river crested at 17 feet, about 12 feet above flood stage, said Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesman Tom Harvey.
Among those rescued were 16 people and a dog stranded on one rooftop and two boys who had spent hours in a tree.
"Hanging in a cedar tree for three hours, I thought they were in good spirits," state game warden Shane Hohman said.
There was so much water at San Marcos that organizers of the 260-mile Texas Water Safari canoe race weren't sure if the competition could start as planned this Sunday. The race had been postponed from June 12 to 16.
"It hasn't stopped raining since the postponement," said race director Allen Spelce. "Most paddlers like the high water just because it allows for faster time and the opportunity to set records, but it's a fine line that you have to draw between high water and safe water."
The rainfall total for the month in northern Texas as of early Wednesday was 10.46 inches, just shy of the record 11.58 inches in 1928, the weather service said.
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