A.D. Ibarra
-South Texas

    The severe weather that blasted its way through South Texas has left death and devastation across the Hill Country and has rocked communities such as Devine and Wimberly.
    Raul Leal, Public Information Officer for TxDoT informed The News Gram of the fact that IH-35 in LaSalle County has been closed at the Nueces River which rose up to the new bridge on the Old Uvalde Road.  Reports of the water completely covering the new structure were also reported.
    In other areas, FM 393, FM 1668, FM 187 to FM 140, FM 1433, FM 1866 were all closed in Zavala County.  FM 117 is closed south of Batesville at the FM 1025 intersection.
US 57 was closed at Batesville from FM 117 to IH 35 due to flooding at the Frio River in Frio County and the Leona River at Batesville.
    Traffic to and from San Antonio was being diverted to Highway 90 to Uvalde where motorists could drive to La Pryor before taking Highway 57 home to Eagle Pass and vice versa.
    A young lady was swept away and killed on her way home from her Senior Prom in Devine, Texas before barricades were placed on the road she had taken.  The entire community is mourning the loss of Alyssa Ramirez, the head cheerleader of the Devine Warhorse Cheerleading squad who also was a part of the varsity volleyball and tennis teams.
    An entire family and their weekend home was also swept away by raging flood waters and the search is on for their vehicle and for any survivors.  Jonathan McCombs was seriously hurt, but his wife and two children are still missing in this tragedy.