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Texas rain has nearly exceeded US record, National Weather Service says

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The record for rainfall from a tropical cyclone in the contiguous United States has been broken.

One record, Mary's Creek at Winding Road in Houston, indicated it reached 49.20 inches on Tuesday morning. The previous Texas record was 48 inches, and that was the highest in the U.S. behind a 1950 rainfall in Hawaii that reached 52 inches following Hurricane Hicki.

If just three more inches of rain falls in Texas, Harvey rainfall will surpass Hicki's.

The term tropical cyclone encompasses tropical storms and hurricanes, according to Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyers.

Floods are devastating parts of Texas following Hurricane Harvey's landfall on Aug. 26, 2017. Thousands have been rescued and are staying in shelters, officials said.