West Texas drenched by torrential rain

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) — Rare, steady rainfall in West Texas led to more than 100 high-water rescues and the closing of a city's school district, officials said Friday.

Officials say about 120 people were rescued from vehicles, mostly overnight and into Friday morning, with the total split almost evenly between Odessa and Midland. No injuries were reported, officials said.

The National Weather Service says the Midland area received nearly 3 inches of rain over 18 hours. Forecasters have issued a flash flood watch through Saturday morning.

"It's been consistent," Midland city spokeswoman Persephone Dakopolos said. "Here in West Texas we don't see this much rain, so it's been kind of an inundation."

Classes were canceled Friday in the school district in Midland, where Dakopolos said water was as high as 4 feet in some areas.

The region, known as the Permian Basin, could use the moisture. Parts of Ector County are in severe or moderate, while Midland County's drought is severe, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday.

Because of that drought, the ground is too hard to soak up much of the rain, which means the water runs into the streets.

There were no class delays for the Ector school district in Odessa and some private schools started classes late, officials said.