Family's Death Increases Flood Toll -- Man Faints As Relatives' Car Pulled From Creek In Texas

WHARTON, Texas - As a grieving relative fainted, a car was pulled from a muddy creek today holding the bodies of four more victims of the state's devastating flooding. The deaths brought the toll to 26.

Divers in San Antonio located the white Lincoln Town Car in 10 to 12 feet of water in muddy Salado Creek and found inside the bodies of Donna O'Bar, 65; her son, Richard Hartman, 47; Jennifer Allensworth, 20; and Allensworth's 2-month-old baby, Mallory Hartman.

They were last seen Saturday night in Jourdanton, a suburb south of San Antonio, leaving a wedding reception during heavy rains that had swamped Central and South Texas.

Justin Hartman, of Bryan, O'Bar's grandson and the father of the infant, was watching the search today and fainted when the car was pulled from the creek. He was traveling in another vehicle when the car carrying the four was swept off a road Saturday night.

"We looked everywhere," said Tanya Griffin, Allensworth's aunt. "We have looked on every road. We went down creeks. . . . We knew something was wrong."

Runoff from the torrential rains was focused on Wharton today, where the flood-swollen Colorado River climbed to record-setting levels and threatened to flood up to 40 percent of the town of 10,200 people.

Wharton, 55 miles southwest of Houston, is just the latest victim of flooding that has affected 60 counties. Besides the 26 deaths, at least one other person, a 7-year-old boy, remained missing.

Yesterday, President Clinton declared 20 counties disaster areas, making them eligible for federal aid. State officials have put preliminary damage estimates at $400 million. Gov. George W. Bush has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare five more counties disaster areas.

The same nightmarish story has been told in town after town. San Marcos, Seguin and New Braunfels, Cuero and Victoria have all seen floodwaters turn streets into filthy lakes, dotted with debris.

Hundreds of people have been forced to flee their homes by boat, on foot and sometimes by helicopter. It was Wharton's turn yesterday; at least 100 people took refuge at the civic center in nearby El Campo.

"They said it could come into the house and with the kids, we didn't want to take any chances," said Jenna McCann, who fled with her husband and their 10-month-old and 3-year-old daughters.

A family of nine tried to stay, then chose to be rescued by rowboat when muddy water climbed halfway up their home's front steps.

"We didn't think it was going to get that high," Robin McGrew, 28, said as her aunt clutched her dog to her chest and rode across the lake that once was her front yard.

The Colorado was forecast to crest at near 50 feet by tonight. That would be 11 feet above flood stage and top the 1991 record of 46.1 feet.

Carolyn Garfield, who owns a resale shop, said, "When the real rush gets here, we'll be swimming."