A bridge collapses as heavy rain floods central Texas

Persistent rainstorms flooded vast areas of Texas on Tuesday, causing a bridge to collapse and several rescues from state and local authorities.

Central Texas has been flooded with rain for days and the National Weather Service has issued warnings for days on the risk of sudden floods caused by river ridges. Authorities said part of the 2900 bridge had collapsed on Lake LBJ in Kingsland on Tuesday morning.

Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas State Operations Center to increase its readiness on Tuesday and prepare to help local offices in their response efforts.

"When the weather is tough, Texas will ensure that our stakeholders and local officials have what they need to respond and protect people at risk," Abbott said in a statement. "I also urge all Texans to take their safety in hand by closely monitoring weather conditions and taking into account warnings from local officials."

The waters of Marble Falls Lake, which are 100% full by Water Data for Texas, have been diverted to the Starcke Dam and the ten open gates, the NBC subsidiary KXAN reported on Tuesday.

Dallas Water Services announced Tuesday that diluted sewage in the city, in at least five major watersheds, was spilled into the sewers. The company said that there was no risk to the city's water supply and warned residents to avoid any contact with sewage.

Residents living within 400 meters of the Llano River have been requested to evacuate to the heights, which have touched the historic flood level. The Llano County Emergency Management Office used social media on Tuesday to warn unaffected residents to stay inside and be ready to act quickly if their situation changed.

A woman was rescued from the Cleburne fire department in Johnson County on Monday from the roof of her car after her car was swept away by a fast current, reported NBC affiliate KXAS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than half of drownings related to flooding occur when a vehicle is driven into floodwaters.