Floods Rage Across Texas

Eleven more Texas counties were declared federal disaster areas Monday following a week of devastating floods that could result in damages reaching $1 billion, with 48 thousand homes damaged, CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassmann reports.

Meanwhile, weather forecasters said a storm gathering off the Texas coast southeast of Corpus Christi could dump significant rain on central and southern parts of the state already overwhelmed by too much water.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency added the battered counties to the 13 previously declared federal disaster areas by President Bush.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry had requested that 17 more counties in the south-central part of the state and in West Texas around Abilene be given the disaster designation that will allow residents and businesses to qualify for federal aid.

"Once all these floodwaters recede, we'll see the impact," Perry said after touring a flood-marred home in downtown San Antonio. "It's going to be substantial. ... This is another major, major blow to the state of Texas."

"It's just an incredible amount of work. We'll all be out here for weeks," one worker said.

FEMA spokesman David Passey said the other six counties on the governor's list were still under consideration.

More than 30 inches of rain fell in parts of south-central Texas last week. The death toll rose to nine Monday when the body of 32-year-old Chris Lewis was found just north of San Antonio. At least one other person was missing.

Preliminary assessments show at least 48,000 houses have been affected in the San Antonio and Abilene regions, according to the American Red Cross.

Accompanied by federal, state and local officials, the governor walked through Roman and Hilda Mendoza's home, flooded last week when rain and runoff pushed Woodlawn Lake in San Antonio over its shores. More than 100 houses were damaged in the area.

As workmen labored on the cleanup, Perry felt for moisture low on the Mendozas' plasterboard walls and commiserated with them about the water-induced buckling in their hardwood floors.

Roman Mendoza said he didn't know why his house was selected, but he was happy to show the governor what happened.

"It brings a little scope on how it hurt not only us, but how the rest of our neighbors were affected," he said.

Meanwhile, waters from weekend flooding in West Texas continued to recede Monday.

All Abilene streets were open, and cleanup continued for hundreds of residents whose houses flooded Saturday after storms brought 6 inches of rain in a few hours. Other towns in the region got up to a foot of rain.

Runoff from that area caused Lake Brownwood to overflow into Pecan Bayou, which flooded a 2-square-mile section of Brownwood's business district.

Lisa May, who owns Humphrey Pete's and Skillet's restaurants along the bayou, rejoiced Monday when she saw that water didn't reach the 2-foot-high sandbags her family frantically piled against the doors early Sunday morning.

The parking lots remained flooded Monday, and the eateries are losing several days of revenues. But May said she feels fortunate.

"If the water had gone up another foot, it would have come in," May said.

San Antonio and points north moved further into cleanup Monday, but extensive flooding continued in less populated counties along the coastal plain leading to the Gulf of Mexico. Flood warnings were in effect in 15 counties.

The lower Guadalupe River, which poured out of Canyon Lake and tore a destructive swath through New Braunfels and Seguin, remained flooded as far south as Victoria on Monday, but it had crested and was receding in most places.

The torrent of water out of Canyon Lake caused significant damage to the New Life Children's Residential Treatment Center, which serves girls with severe emotional and behavioral problems.

The damage has forced its closure for at least three months, the center said. Forty-eight girls and 40 staff members were evacuated last week.

In Goliad, the San Antonio River was at 46 feet, more than 20 feet above flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. The river was expected to crest at 51 feet Wednesday, but officials there said only a small number of homes were flooded.

Water levels in the Medina River, which ravaged more than 100 homes in Bandera and Castroville, were falling over most of its length. The Frio and Nueces rivers also were receding.

Mike Buchanan, a lead forecaster with the weather service in Corpus Christi, said there was a chance that the storm front in the western Gulf of Mexico could grow into a tropical depression.

If that happens, he said, it could throw rain as far north as the Hill Country.

"There may be some additional problems as far as flooding is concerned," he said. "I don't think it would be a major impact, but it could be a minor impact. It's something to watch."

Buchanan said it was more likely that the storm would drop its rain on the lower Rio Graande Valley, now in the midst of a prolonged drought.