International

"Oh no!" Sarah Perez cried from the second floor.

The torrent of brown water filled the Texas house, creating a whirlpool of chairs and tables.

"It turned the living room into a gigantic washing machine," Ernie Perez said.

His wife wondered aloud whether she should call 911.

"911 is not going to be able to get to us," he replied.

Fortunately for the Perez family, firefighters were already in that part of Wimberley, Texas, to check on an elderly neighbor.

"We see flashing lights in the distance. We saw a fire crew with two trucks and a boat," Ernie Perez said. "My brother whistles and gets their attention."

The rescue Saturday night was like a movie, he said, with boats, lines and emergency workers ferrying his family into the dark.

The Perez family managed to survive, but many did not.

At least 37 people have died in the severe weather over the past five days, from either tornadoes or flooding brought on by epic rainfall. Those deaths include 17 in Texas, 14 in northern Mexico and six in Oklahoma.

Nine people remain missing in Texas.