In Houston, a casket containing a woman's body was ripped from a cemetery and later found on a nearby trail

Hundreds of people waited out the flooding for up to six hours in Houston's


The death toll from extreme weather in Texas and Oklahoma has risen to 17 after a man's body was found in the Brays Bayou area in Houston.

Meanwhile, the search went on for at least 11 people who were still missing in Hays County, including a group that disappeared after a vacation home was swept down the river and slammed into a bridge.

Flood waters are slowly starting to recede this afternoon in Houston, where a record-setting four inches of rain in just a few short hours wreaked havoc and led to at least three deaths.

Interstate highways in the nation's fourth-largest city turned to raging rivers, neighborhoods became lakes and hundreds of people had to be rescued from flooded homes and stranded vehicles.

The flooding had one other horrifying consequence - snakes and other creatures that were flooded out of their homes crept into homes and vehicles in search of high ground.

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Amy Gilmour, a volunteer from San Antonio, Texas, walks past a pile of debris, which included parts of destroyed homes, that amassed when the Blanco River flooded during the Memorial Day weekend rains in Wimberley

Gay Sullivan looks at debris that was swept against her house by the Memorial Day weekend floods in Wimberley caused by torrential rains that killed 17 people

Volunteers from Austin, Texas take a break from cleaning and speak with Michael J. Sullivan (right), whose home was decimated by the Memorial Day weekend floods in Wimberley

Amy Gilmour, a volunteer from San Antonio, Texas, helps pick up debris from the backyards of flood damaged homes along the Blanco River in Wimberley

Amy Gilmour describes how the Blanco River crested at a record 43 feet during the Memorial Day weekend floods while helping pick up debris from the backyards of flood damaged homes in Wimberley

Gay Sullivan surveys the flood damage done to her living room in Wimberley. Trees along the riverbank were ripped out of the ground and hundreds of homes were destroyed

Michael Fisher strips drywall from his mother-in-law's flood damaged home in Wimberley after torrential rains caused floods across Texas and Oklahoma

A casket with human remains inside was found on a hiking trail in Houston on Tuesday and police say the storm waters may have torn the coffin right from its grave.

Walter Rubio got quite a fright when he saw the casket as he was biking in Keegan's Bayou early on Tuesday morning.

'I was on my bike and when I came, I seen the casket and I got a little scared so I had to go to the main street and get the cops,' Rubio told ABC.

Click 2 Houston reports that after unsuccessfully trying to move the casket he called the police, and a woman's body was found inside. A medical examiner is trying to confirm the woman's identity.

Police believe the casket was ripped out of the nearby Riceville Cemetery, where some people have been buried since 1989, and was then carried 100 yards to the bike trail.

'It's disheartening when you have a situation like this,' Deacon Reginald Fields said. 'Nobody wants to come eight years later to re-live someone's death.'

A totaled Porsche sits in the midst of the foundation of a home destroyed by the Memorial Day weekend floods in Wimberley, Texas

Jake Johnson (left), a volunteer from Austin, talks with Michael J. Sullivan (right) about his 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto, which he was restoring before the Memorial Day weekend floods destroyed it in Wimberley

Wilber Gonzales uses a chainsaw to cut fallen tree trunks into small pieces along the banks of the Blanco River in Wimberley, Texas, on Tuesday

A man walks along the Blanco River where sweeping flood waters overturned vehicles and knocked down trees on Tuesday

Michael Fisher investigates a brush pile after noticing flies hovering over it during a break from cleaning his mother-in-law's flood damaged home in Wimberley

Bill Taylor helps clean and remove debris from the interior of a friend's flood damaged home in San Marcos, Texas, on Tuesday

A tornado and torrential rains hit Texas and Oklahoma, killing at least 17 people and damaging hundreds of homes and buildings. At least 11 remain missing

Flood waters cover Memorial Drive along Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas. The death toll from extreme weather in Texas and Oklahoma has risen to 13 after heavy storms hit the area over the holiday weekend

Flood waters cover several cars at the Meyergrove Apartment complex in Houston. Torrential rains turned streets into rivers and led to nearly 1,000 calls for help across the city

The storm also left hundreds of basketball fans trapped in the Toyota Center for up to six hours after the Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors Eastern Conference Finals game Monday when the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency and an announcer asked fans not to leave because of severe weather. Rockets star Dwight Howard stayed with fans into the night and helped to entertain them.

Eight of those who are still missing are from one vacation house in Wimberley that was washed off its foundation and smashed into a bridge Sunday night. Five adults and three young children from two different families are assumed dead.

One mother made one final, frantic phone call as her vacation home was being swept away by flash flood waters on the Blanco River on Sunday night.

'I'm in a house. I'm floating down the river. Tell mom and dad. I love you, and pray,' 33-year-old Laura McComb told her sister, according to KXAN-TV.

Mrs McComb and her two children Andrew, 6, and Leighton, 4, are among the people still missing following flash floods near the popular vacation spot of Wimberley over Memorial Day weekend.

A casket with human remains inside was found on a hiking trail in Houston on Tuesday and police say the storm waters may have torn the coffin right from its grave

Police believe the casket, which had a woman's body inside, was ripped out of the nearby Riceville Cemetery during the weekend's heavy storms and was carried to a nearby trail

The Galleria shopping center was hit by flooding overnight that swept through the Houston area, stalling many cars and flooding the mall's parking garages. Tuesday morning, the streets were clear of water and Galleria mall garages were not submerged

A garden shed behind a home along the bank of the Blanco River in Wimberly after flooding destroyed hundreds of homes in Texas and Oklahoma over the holiday weekend

Residents are evacuated by members of the Houston Fire Department from floodwaters surrounding their homes in Houston on Tuesday

Rescue personnel search the flood waters along Brays Bayou in southwest Houston, where a man's body was found on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 13

Mario Jose climbs a fallen tree to cut branches with a saw on Tipps Street on Tuesday in Henderson, Texas. A weekend of deadly and destructive storms caused widespread flooding in Texas

Joan Pool, center, carries a headboard out of her home that was destroyed by a falling tree on Monday evening in Henderson, Texas

Trey Hatt, a spokesman for the Hays County Emergency Operations Center, said Monday night that the 'search component' of the mission was over, meaning no more survivors were expected to be found in the flood debris. The recovery mission resumed this morning.

Hundreds of people were forced to abandon their cars as the rains turned Interstate 45 into a raging river. Hundreds of homes were damaged as four inches of rainfall turned into several feet of floodwater.

The water rose sharply overnight as about 11 more inches of rain fell, much of it in a six-hour period. By Tuesday evening, most rivers had receded back within their banks.

The floodwaters affected virtually every part of the city and paralyzed some areas. Firefighters carried out more than 500 water rescues, most involving stranded motorists. At least 2,500 vehicles were abandoned by drivers seeking higher ground, officials said.

'Given the magnitude and how quickly it happened, in such a short period of time, I've never seen this before,' said Rick Flanagan, Houston's emergency management coordinator.

The floods turned whole neighborhoods into lakes. Here, the skyline of downtown Houston can be seen in the floodwater that has yet to recede from Memorial Drive

Nearly 1,000 people called for help as a result of the flooding on Monday and Tuesday, authorities say

The flooding led to bizarre, nearly apocalyptic scenes in the nation's forth-largest city as residents navigated the waters

Flood waters in some parts of Houston still had not receded by Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of cars were flooded out after being abandoned by drivers

Terrifying: One little-known consequence of the flooding is that many creatures - including snakes - have been taking up residence in cars and homes as they seek higher ground

Transport officials are working to reopen Route 20 through Wind River Canyon in central Wyoming following a mudslide caused by heavy rain

Mud and rock took out about 300 feet of railway track across the Bighorn River at Wind River Canyon, in Wyoming

Wyoming Department of Transportation spokesman Cody Beers said crews cleared mud and debris up to 8 feet deep at Wind River Canyon

A mudslide in Wind River Canyon caused by heavy rain has closed Route 20 and transport officials are working to reopen the road

The drenching weather threatened to linger. Forecasts called for a 20 to 40 percent chance of thunderstorms through the rest of the week in Houston.

Fourteen people have so far been confirmed dead in Texas and Oklahoma and more than 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Authorities were also searching for victims and assessing damage just across the Texas-Mexico border in Ciudad Acuna, where a tornado Monday killed 13 people and left at least five unaccounted for.

Mrs McComb's sister Julie Shields says she has come to accept that her sister, niece and nephew are dead.

Two families from Corpus Christi, including the McCombs, rented the house in Wimberley for the holiday weekend. Eight of the nine people staying there are now believed to be dead.

The others in the home have been identified as Ralph and Sue Carey, their daughter Michelle Charba, her husband Randy and four-year-old son William.

Residents had to be rescued by Houston firefighters in flat-bottom boats - and occasionally by helicopter

Missing: Laura McComb and her children Andrew, 6, (right) and Leighton, 4, (left) are believed to be dead after their vacation home was washed away in severe flooding

Lone survivor: Jonathan McComb (left) was the only one found alive when the vacation home was swept away. The eight other people who were in the cabin are believed to have been killed

Nothing left: Two local teens survey the remains of the vacation home where eight people are believed to have died in flash flooding on the Blanco River Sunday

Stranded: Hundreds of people were forced to abandon their vehicles on the highway when flash floods hit the Houston area. Up to four inches of rain fell in a very short time. Commuters Tuesday morning were met with scenes like this one in Interstate 45

Swamped: Incredible flood waters pummeled the first floor of this building outside Houston on Tuesday morning following four inches of rain in the city

Only Mrs McComb's husband, Jonathan McComb, survived. He was found 12 miles away clinging to a tree with multiple broken bones.

'He is absolutely devastated. He did everything he possibly could to save them,' Ms Shields told KVUE-TV.

Mr McComb, the son of a county commissioner in Corpus Christi, became separated from the rest of his family when the house hit a bridge and broke apart.

No one in the house realized how bad the flooding was until water began seeping into the house. By then it was too late. The floods lifted the home off its foundation and carried it downriver.

Ms Shields said her sister's phone call ended when she saw lights and thought a helicopter had come to rescue her and her family. It's unclear what her sister saw.

'The blessing in all of this is that she is with her children, she is with her babies. And she will be with her babies forever in heaven and we know that as a family,' Ms Shields told KXAN.

Tragedy: Eight of the 12 people missing in the Blanco River region are all from the same house

Destroyed: Hudson Doty, 18, left, and Grant Guzal, 17, right, walk along the bank of the Blanco River near the foundation and stilts of the Carey family home

Grieving: Mrs McComb's sister Julie Shields says she is comforted knowing her sister, niece and nephew are together in heaven

Concern: Ralph and Sue Carey have also been reported missing from the vacation house that floated away

Search: Randy and Michelle Charba (right) and their 4-year-old son Will (left) are also missing. Mrs Charba is the daughter of Ralph and Sue Carey

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared disasters in 37 counties, allowing for further mobilization of state resources to assist.

'You cannot candy coat it. It's absolutely massive,' Abbott said after touring the destruction.

The worst flooding damage was in Wimberley, where the vacation home was swept away, a popular tourist town along the Blanco River in the corridor between Austin and San Antonio.

The Blanco crested above 40 feet — more than triple its flood stage of 13 feet. The river swamped Interstate 35 and forced parts of the busy north-south highway to close. Rescuers used pontoon boats and a helicopter to pull people out.

Hundreds of trees along the Blanco were uprooted or snapped, and they collected in piles of debris up to 20 feet high.

Flooding wreaked also havoc late Monday afternoon in Austin, where emergency crews responded to more than 20 high-water rescues.

Harris County Flood District, which includes Houston, advised residents not leave their homes early Tuesday after the weather service issued a flash flood warning for parts of the county.

Before the sun rose Tuesday, emergency crews used helicopters and boats to help residents evacuate their flooded homes in Webberville, some 15 miles east of Austin.

THREE DROWNED IN HOUSTON: HISTORIC RAINFALL CAUSES FLOODS THAT GRIND TEXAS' LARGEST CITY TO A HALT Residents of Houston, the nation's fourth largest city, awoke this morning to historic flooding that ground the region to a halt. Four inches of rainfall overnight turned highways like the vital Interstate 45 into raging rivers and forced hundreds to abandon their vehicles. Other parts of the region got up to 11 inches of rain. Three people have already been found drowned in Houston. One man was found in his submerged truck. Two other bodies were found floating in flood waters across the city. Dozens more people had to be rescued from flooded homes and vehicles by firefighters in rafts or by helicopter. While the water was expected to recede by Tuesday afternoon, the damage is likely to be long-term in some neighborhoods where 16 inches of water rushed into houses. 610 Loop as well as Katy, North and South freeways were all underwater in some spots. On Monday night, fans were asked not to leave the Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors NBA Western Conference Finals game after the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency across the city. Advertisement

Harrowing: A man is rescued from waist-deep flood waters in Austin after Shoal Creek overflowed its banks on Sunday. Torrential rain has caused flash floods across Texas

Sunk: Interstate 45 outside Houston looks like a river following massive rainfalls and flash flooding on Monday night

Dozens of people had to be rescued from their homes and cars in Houston on Monday night and Tuesday morning

Making the most of it: The Molina family took out their kayak to get out of their neighborhood after massive flooding clogged their street on Tuesday

Washed away: This car was swept up and deposited like kindling by flood waters in Wimberley, Texas

Flooding hit Dallas: Downtown Dallas can be seen from the Sylvan Avenue Bridge on Monday as the Trinity River spilled over its banks

Damage: Hays County Precinct 4 Deputy Constable John Ellen patrols River Road in Wimberley, Texas, on Monday

The four deaths occurred across the state over the weekend - in addition to the three found dead in Houston flooding on Tuesday.

Damien Blade, 14, was found in a storm drain in DeSoto on Monday along with one of his dogs while homecoming queen Alyssa Ramirez, 18, was on her way home from high school prom in Devine on Saturday night when her car was swept away by rising waters.

A man's body was also pulled from the Blanco and a man was killed when his mobile home was destroyed by a tornado.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported the further four confirmed fatalities after also seeing severe flooding and tornadoes.

Claremore Fire Captain Jason Farley drowned while trying to help flooding victims at a duplex in Oklahoma. His body was later found in a storm drain

In Ciudad Acuna, Mayor Evaristo Perez Rivera said 300 people were treated at local hospitals after the twister, and up to 200 homes had been completely destroyed. The government was talking with families whose homes had been damaged to determine how much assistance would be needed to rebuild the city of 125,000 across from Del Rio, Texas.

'We have never registered in the more than 100 years in the history of this city a tornado,' he said.

By midday, 13 people were confirmed dead in the Mexican border town — 10 adults and three infants. At least five people were unaccounted for.

The twister hit a seven-block area, which Victor Zamora, interior secretary of the northern state of Coahuila, described as 'devastated.'

Homecoming queen Alyssa Ramirez, 18, had just attended her high school prom (left) in Devine, Texas on Saturday when her car was swept away by rising flood waters. Her body was recovered on Sunday

Tornadoes: People stand near a destroyed vehicle after a powerful tornado swept past in Ciudad Acuna, northern Mexico, Monday, killing 13

Crushed: A vehicle lies on the rooftop of a home in Ciudad Acuna, northern Mexico

'There's nothing standing, not walls, not roofs,' said Edgar Gonzalez, a spokesman for the city government, describing some of the destroyed homes in a 3-square kilometer (1 square mile) stretch.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto was expected to travel to Acuna with officials from government agencies.

Gonzalez said late Monday night that rescuers were looking for four members of a family who were believed missing, adding that there were still areas of rubble that remained to be searched. Zamora said rescuers were searching for an infant who was missing after the tornado ripped the baby carrier the child was in from its mother's hands.

Survivor Luis Antonio Hernandez, 37, looked in disbelief Monday at what remained of his house. Three vehicles had smashed through the back, leaving a heap of twisted metal and the smell of gasoline.

Hernandez and his three children had hidden in a bathroom as the tornado sent the cars passing over them. 'It's a miracle that we're alive,' he said.

Residents retraced the tornado's path in trucks, hoping to salvage their mattresses, furniture and other belongings. But there was little left intact.

Antonio Sanchez's home was now nothing more than an open shell strewn with rubble.

'We lost everything,' he said. 'But at least I didn't lose my family.'

Relatives of a flood victim react with shock after learning a loved one was found drowned

Don Simons (left) and Clint Followel, volunteers from the First Baptist Church in San Marcos, Texas, help clean Toby McLroy's flood damaged home