HOUSTON -- Authorities say four boys were rescued from a nearly submerged boat after a dangerous 11-mile ride along aflooded creek north of Houston.

The Montgomery County Constable's Office says the juveniles were rescued Tuesday night after being reported missing on Caney Creek, near New Caney.

A group of people in an airboat found the boys under the Highway 59 bridge near FM 1485 without life jackets and in a boat with no motor just before 8:30 p.m., CBS affiliate KHOU reported.

Sgt. Jim Slack said Wednesday that the boys were "scared but safe" after being rescued.

Authorities believe the juveniles found a boat and decided to go for a ride even though the boat didn't have life jackets, a working motor or paddles on board.

Slack says the boys went into the water with the boat about 90 minutes before sunset. They were located and rescued several hours later as the nearly submerged boat passed under a highway bridge.

The boys weren't hurt. County constables transported the boys to their families.

With tons of water -- and no place for it to go -- rescues from devastating flooding continued in and around Houston.

Flooding is blamed for eight deaths in Texas. A research scientist estimates almost 9 trillion gallons of rain fell on the state over the past three days, and the forecast calls for more rain.

People living in low-lying areas north of Houston evacuated with help from the National Guard -- some families there not taking a chance that things will get worse, CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca reported.

"What we'll come back to whenever all of this dies down -- I'm hoping everything will be okay," said resident Lisa Danna.

In Harris County, streets are still flooded and cars are still underwater. Another exodus is also underway in Montgomery County.

"It's about up to my thigh, inside my house... and it's still coming up," said one resident.

Volunteers worked alongside busy rescue crews and law enforcement to help people who were trapped.

"I do want to send my condolences and on behalf of the city, to the families who did lose loved ones from yesterday," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

Among those killed was 25-year-old Claudia Melgar. Dash-cam video shows a toll road worker frantically trying to reach her car. She had driven around a barricade and drowned in her SUV before the officer could reach her.

"She asked her mom if she needed anything, and that was the last we heard from her," said her cousin, Linda Rodriguez said.

Many roads in and around the Houston area are still closed, but Houston schools are back open Wednesday.