Texas deluged by rain in Patricia's wake, Houston braces for floods

By Amanda Orr HOUSTON (Reuters) - Heavy rains fueled by the meeting of two strong storm systems, one the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, pounded southeastern Texas triggering flash floods and derailing a freight train as the heavy weather descended upon Houston early on Sunday. The National Weather Service predicted 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain for coastal areas including southwest Louisiana by Monday morning, exacerbated by tides up to 5 feet (1.5 meter) and wind gusts up to 35 mph. The rain systems were intensified by Patricia, downgraded to a tropical depression after crashing into Mexico's west coast as a powerful hurricane. As the storms moved eastward early on Sunday, cities in the state's flood-prone Gulf of Mexico region including Houston, the state's second-most populous metropolitan area with 6.1 million people, braced for potential floods.

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