OKLAHOMA CITY — The search for an 8-year-old Oklahoma girl entered its third day on Thursday after her family’s vehicle got caught in a drainage ditch in Texas and was swept away by floodwaters on Christmas Eve.

Emergency personnel responded to a crash scene around 9:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday near U.S. Route 75 in Sherman, a city about 17 miles south of the Texas-Oklahoma border, according to the Sherman Police Department. Police said an SUV veered off the highway, got trapped in a drainage ditch and traveled down a nearby creek.

Six people were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash, according to police. Four family members were later rescued as authorities continued recovery efforts.

One body was recovered several hours later, police said. CBS News identified the person as the missing girl’s father, Will Robinson, who was a coach for the Durant High School Lady Lions basketball team in southern Oklahoma.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approved the dispatch of state search-and-rescue teams to assist with search efforts, according to police. Local and state personnel searched throughout most of the night on Tuesday to locate the missing girl, police said.

Search efforts resumed early Christmas Day as personnel expanded the search area outside of Sherman and into the “lower branches of Post Oak and Choctaw creeks,” according to police. By the afternoon, searchers had covered about seven miles of the creek in the area without success and police said they were shifting their “focus into the county, targeting some possible locations where we have not looked to as yet.”

Authorities resumed their search at 7 a.m. Thursday, but police noted that inclement weather may force them to pause the search.

Storms and tornadoes? Bad weather in forecast for holiday travel.

“We will maintain observation posts at key areas throughout the inclement weather,” the Sherman Police Department said in a statement Thursday morning. “The active search will resume again the moment we are able to safely.”

Police also thanked the local community for their support but said no additional equipment, volunteers or other resources were needed in the search.

“We appreciate all the offers for assistance and are thankful for your concern and willingness to help,” the Sherman Police Department said. “There are dozens of search teams already deployed, who possess vast experience in these types of operations.”

Severe weather threatens parts of Texas

Tuesday’s accident comes amid a severe weather threat in parts of the state. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for the Dallas-Fort Worth metro as thunderstorms move through the area.

“Thunderstorms continue pushing east and are now east of the US 75/I-45 corridor,” the weather service in Fort Worth warned Thursday afternoon. “Main threats with these storms continues to be small hail and heavy rain, but a tornado can’t be ruled out in the Tornado Watch area.”

The weather service also issued a tornado watch for the Houston metro area, which will until at least 7 p.m. Forecasters said in a Thursday morning forecast that the environment for tornadoes would be the most favorable around noon. 

Abbott activated state emergency response resources on Thursday in anticipation of an increased severe weather threat across the eastern half of Texas. Citing the weather service, the governor’s office said in a statement that severe thunderstorms are expected to develop across portions of north, central, east, and southeast Texas beginning Thursday.

“Risks through the weekend include large hail, damaging winds, possible tornadoes, and heavy rainfall resulting in flash flooding,” the governor’s office said. “Minor river flooding is possible over the next several days, with the threat subsiding early next week.”

Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY

Holiday traditions run the gamut in North Texas. For some, it means a yearly dinner at a popular Dallas Chinese restaurant. But not just any dinner. These are gatherings reserved months in advance. And Wednesday’s festivities just happened to fall on Christmas day and the start of Hanukkah.

Ask April Kao when they plan to close the Royal China restaurant for the night, and she’ll tell you simply whenever the last person leaves. It’s what she’s grown accustomed to. When the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, with all its excitement and frenzy, comes breezing through the front door of the Royal China restaurant off Preston Road and Royal Lane.

Kao and her husband George, both owners of the restaurant, said opening on December 25 was never part of the original business plan.

“We didn’t used to open on Christmas day,” she said. “And in 2008 after the renovation, people begged and begged, ‘Please you have to open.’”

So, they did, and there’s been a massive turnout ever since. People from surrounding neighborhoods in North Dallas and people from different faith communities rely on Royal China.

“Before we open the door, we have lines outside and it’s getting busier and busier. So we take reservations a year before,” Kao said.

One Dallas family made reservations during the summer just to be sure their 15-year tradition wouldn’t miss a beat.

“My son-in-law, Berry, was the one who first suggested that we come to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas day,” said Lynn Harnden. “And we make our reservations like in July to be sure to come.”

As the years pass, seats are added to the reservation. This year, the Hardens occupied two tables with seventeen guests.

As for upholding family traditions, the Kaos have their own wall of memories at the restaurant. It’s a reminder of how far they’ve come from 1974, when George Kao’s father came from Taiwan with a dream and a plan.

“He is very proud,” he said. “He would smile. He’s smiling from above.”