Tropical storm Erin claims four lives

Recovery efforts were in full swing today as water-logged Texas dealt with the rainy remnants of Tropical Storm Erin, which authorities blamed for at least four deaths and said could be a prelude to

Hurricane Dean as it gathered strength in the Atlantic.

Erin dropped up to 10 inches of rain in parts of San Antonio and Houston, and officials throughout central and southern Texas braced for the possibility of more rain this morning.

Overnight rain prompted the evacuation early Friday of three areas in Texas’ Bandera County, officials said.

While there were no serious injuries in that area, a man was swept away yesterday in San Antonio after apparently getting out of his vehicle in floodwater, a police spokeswoman said.

Three people died in a head-on collision on a rainy highway in Comal County, but Department of Public Safety Trooper Rick Alvarez said the cause of the crash was still under investigation.