Major Evacuation Order for Wichita Falls, TX

Evacuation order issued for parts of Wichita Falls, as Wichita River floods

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for hundreds of residents in Wichita Falls, located about 200km NE of Dallas, amid rising water levels on the Wichita River caused by extreme rain events.

Residents in several neighborhoods have been ordered to evacuate by early morning on Thursday, as the city prepares to shut off electricity to those areas to minimize the risk of electrical fires.

Parched by drought last year, Wichita Falls has been deluged by 52.2cm of rain so far in 2015, more than twice the average for this time of year.