HOUSTON, June 4, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Sand bags are piled up to prevent flood by Sugar Land municipal department in Houston, the U.S., on June 3, 2016. Severe storms have pummeled Texas, with widespread flooding reported across the state. Governor of Texas Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster across 31 counties. About half of the state is under flood watches or warnings, including Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston, where about 1,400 homes have been affected by the overfull of the Brazos River after heavy rainfall since last week. The national weather service has warned that heavy storms are possible in the next few days. (Xinhua/Jia Zhong)