A Union Pacific freight train derailed in southeast Texas yesterdayas flood waters covered the tracks about 55 miles (88 kilometers) south of Dallas, putting a locomotive and rail cars on their side, according to a company spokesman and TV footage.

The two crew members operating the train swam to safety after the derailment, a Union Pacific Railroad spokesman told CNN. He said the train was carrying cement, which is not hazardous.

The flooding was caused by heavy rains which pelted Texas, flooding Dallas streets and scrambling air transport as the National Weather Service placed almost all of the state of 27 million people under a flood watch, warning of torrential downpours through the weekend. 

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