Family mourns after mother killed in Houston floodwaters

HOUSTON – A Houston family is mourning a woman who died in Monday's floodwaters.

Sunita Singh was driving to work Monday morning under the 610 West Loop interchange near Westpark. Her husband, Rajiv Singh, said he thought she would be OK.

She told him that she saw flashing lights, and he said he knew she would get help.

But he heard nothing more.

[LIST OF HIGH WATER LOCATIONS]

He received word Monday afternoon that Sunita Singh had drowned. She was 49 years old.

Rajiv Singh told KPRC 2 that he's sharing his story to warn drivers to be careful.

"There's such traps in the heart of the city, and they're not such huge fixes. Things can be done," Singh said. "Even if the manpower cannot get there in time, there are so many things (that can be done) to stop people getting into those traps."

The couple has two sons. One is away at college and the youngest is 15 and lives at home.

Sunita Singh was one of six people killed in the widespread flooding.

Officials said the flooding is the worst in the area since Hurricane Allison.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the county's chief administrator, said more than 1,000 homes were flooded.

Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster Monday in Harris County, as well as Austin, Bastrop, Fort Bend, Colorado, Grimes, Montgomery, Waller and Wharton counties.

The National Weather Service released a video showing how quickly a situation turns deadly in flood-related incidents. It takes just 12 inches of flowing water to carry off a small car, and 18 to 24 inches for larger vehicles.

More than half of the deaths from flooding each year occur in vehicles.