Southern Plains Flooding: 31 Killed in Texas and Oklahoma; Dry Weather Finally Arrives

A region that can't take another drop of rain will finally see some relief this week.

After weeks of heavy rain and flooding, aquifers in the Southern Plains have been pushed to their boundaries – and beyond, in some cases. The Trinity River breached levees Sunday night, flooding homes in Bristol, Texas, according to the National Weather Service. Residents were urged to act quickly and move to higher ground.

For the first time in weeks, however, there is good news: mostly dry conditions will last through the week.

"A pattern change developed over the Southern Plains this past weekend," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "A ridge of high pressure is now in place across the region, which will keep mainly dry conditions in place through much of the week ahead. The main focus of showers and storms will instead be in the northern half of the Plains states."

(MORE: How Long Will This Drier Pattern Persist?)

At least 31 deaths have been reported from flooding and tornadoes over the last week, and 3 residents remain missing. Here are the latest impacts from both Texas and Oklahoma.

Texas 

As May ended, National Weather Service offices in the Lone Star State were busy crunching numbers and comparing the last three months to other historic rainfall periods. As expected, several major cities reported near-record rain from March through May.

But with so many areas still experiencing flooded homes and roadways, the state isn't out of the woods. Billions of gallons of water have begun to meander down rivers and creeks, toward the Gulf of Mexico. For residents who live near rivers and streams in southeastern Texas, that likely means the flooding will come to their doorstep, if it hasn't already.

In North Texas, some Bristol-area homes were flooded Sunday night as the Trinity River breached various levees, the National Weather Service reported. This led to some voluntary evacuations in Ellis County, WFAA.com said, with additional levee breaches possible on Monday.

(MORE: The 8 Craziest Photos We Saw From Houston's Flooding)

In the city of Dallas, nearly two dozen roads were closed due to flooding, WFAA.com also reported, and officials said it will likely make Monday's rush hour more difficult for some commuters.

Friday night, President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration allowing the state to utilize federal funding in recovery efforts stemming from severe weather that started May 4. The funding will assist in immediate aid, like temporary housing and more long-term necessities, such as home repairs.

(MORE: How This Flood Event Compares To Past Floods In Houston)

Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a disaster declaration to include 24 more counties Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 70 counties under the declaration, according to the AP.

A mandatory evacuation order was lifted Saturday evening for residents of Wharton, Texas, Click2Houston.com reported. Mayor Domingo Montalvo had issued the order Friday afternoon. 

Oklahoma

The Sooner State reported its wettest month on record, shattering a 74-year-old record.

The statewide average rainfall was 14.41 inches in May, topping the previous record of 10.75 inches in October 1941, according to the AP. The previous record for May was 10.54, set in 1957, the report added.

(MORE: May's Flooding And Rain Records)

Now, rainy conditions are temporarily subsiding, but officials are still wary of flooded roadways and have alerted motorists to avoid any standing water that remains.

"Do NOT drive into high water," the Oklahoma DOT warned. "Drivers are cautioned to heed warning signs and to not drive around barricades."

Seven were confirmed dead from flooding and tornadoes over the last few days in Oklahoma, including a Claremore firefighter who died during a water rescue, and a 33-year-old woman who died in a storm-related traffic accident in Tulsa.