Texas residents return to flood-damaged homes

Death toll rises to 8

A damaged roof painted wtih Texas' Lone Star Flag stands in the floodwaters.

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (CNN) -- After flying over the areas of central Texas swamped by steady downpours since July 1, Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday the devastation was "very, very broad" from floods that have left eight people dead.

Though water is pouring over Canyon Dam at about a third the rate of just two days ago, "It's still a substantial amount of water," Perry told reporters.

"It's hard to imagine that type of power in one area, and it's mind-boggling to see that and realize that nature has that type of force."

He said he has asked President Bush to declare 17 more Texas counties "major disaster areas" to expedite the flow of federal assistance.

Bush has already approved federal disaster assistance for 13 counties.

As the water began to ebb, the extent of the disaster was only beginning to reveal itself to residents, many of whom remained in shelters.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO Texas Gov. Rick Perry has asked the U.S. government to assist the estimated 48,000 people affected by heavy flooding. KPRC's Tony Paniagua reports (July 7) Play video Gov. Rick Perry declares 30 Texas counties a disaster area as residents return to flood damaged homes. CNN's Ed Lavandera reports (July 7) Play video   GALLERY Images of the flooding in Texas    EXTRA INFORMATION Map of the area

"Obviously, when the water goes down, we're going to see the impact on residential properties is going to be substantial," Perry said.

National Guard troops, helicopters and rescue boats have been dispatched to several counties, he said. "The state continues to stand ready to do whatever we can do."

Eight people have been killed by the flooding, emergency management officials said. They warned returning residents to resist curiosity and avoid standing on riverbanks to view the damage because the soggy ground could give way.

Four years ago, a similar flood swamped the same region, and many people rebuilt. Perry suggested the vast majority of those affected this year will clean up and rebuild again. "Cleaning up after a flood is one of the toughest things that happens to people," he said. But those who were flooded out are tough, he said. "These are resilient people, they love living where they live in Texas, and I can't blame them. Ninety-nine percent of the time it's a beautiful part of the state."

Perry's comments came as lake and river levels began to drop Sunday and some displaced residents returned home. In all, officials said, about 48,000 Texas residents were affected by the flood.

New Braunfels homeowner Charles Markham found more than a foot of mud in his kitchen and living room, heavily damaged walls and debris in the house he and his wife recently remodeled.

Twelve hours earlier, the home was underwater from the overflowing Guadalupe River.

Paul and Antoinette Wukasch watch as floodwaters from the Guadalupe River flow through their home Sunday in New Braunfels, Texas.

"We had hoped that it would not be this way," Markham said. "We spent four months [remodeling]. It's difficult, and after four months -- nothing. We've got to start all over, but I guess we will."

"The strange feeling is when you're at a distance, and there's nothing you can do but watch the house go to pieces. And we did this for the past 24 hours," he said.

The Markhams were out of town when the order was given to evacuate, but their neighbors saved many of their belongings.

Officials weren't expecting river levels to decrease significantly until late Monday or Tuesday, so many residents remained in shelters or with friends and relatives.

By Sunday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency office in San Antonio had received 2,200 requests for disaster aid from residents of the 13 eligible counties, said David Passey, FEMA's regional public affairs officer.

The first checks were to be approved Monday, primarily for basic repairs and temporary housing for those whose homes were destroyed or need major work, Passey said.

"We hope over the next few days we'll have a better picture of what actually took place" in terms of total damage amounts, he said.

New Braunfels resident Charles Markham, with his dog Sir Bubba, surveys the damage caused to his home by floodwaters from the Guadalupe River.

In Comal County, where New Braunfels is located, county engineer Tom Hornseth said water levels were dropping.

"We're on a downward trend," he said. "The discharge rate from Canyon Lake Dam has been dropping in the last 24 hours."

The heavy rain -- up to 30 inches in some counties upstream of Comal County -- had sent water surging over spillways and caused the Guadalupe River downstream from the dam to overflow its banks. The heavy flow was expected to drain into the Gulf of Mexico.

The depth of the water going over Canyon Dam's emergency spillway was 4.8 feet Sunday, compared with a peak of 7.3 feet, Hornseth said. The flooding had forced water over the spillway for the first time in 45 years.

Meanwhile, the rain in central Texas had shifted north and west, and only intermittent afternoon showers were expected in the next few days.

In Abilene, almost 5 inches of rain fell Saturday in a six-hour period starting at 4 a.m., said National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Eckert. The city has had several years of drought. Near Childress and into the Panhandle, rain was falling at up to 2 inches per hour, he said.

"But we're not looking at anything like we've seen in the last few days like central Texas," Eckert said.

Taylor County Sheriff Jack Dieken said 200 homes were evacuated through Saturday in Buffalo Gap, Lawn and another unincorporated town surrounding Abilene, but residents had begun returning. About 450 people stayed at the Civic Center.

"We got some much-needed rain," Dieken said. He said it was sprinkling Sunday.

Assistant city Police Chief Jim Berry said parts of Abilene had been evacuated, but he didn't know how many homes. Some houses had up to 3 feet of water, he said. No injuries were reported from the storms.