Heavy rainfall, floods and tornadoes have devastated southern-central US, killing several people, washing away houses and forcing thousands to flee. Rivers rose so fast that entire communities woke on Sunday surrounded by water.

At least one person was killed in Texas – a man, whose body was recovered from a flooded area along the Blanco River, the authorities said, adding that the river rose 7.9 meters (26ft) in just one hour.

About 1,200 residents in Hays County are now homeless after the Blanco River flooding.

From 350 to 400 homes were destroyed in a small town of Wimberley. Many of them were washed away, according to emergency management coordinator Kharley Smith from Hays County. At least three people are still unaccounted for.

"It looks pretty bad out there," Smith told AP. "We do have whole streets with maybe one or two houses left on them and the rest are just slabs."