Flash Flooding Threats Loom in Texas
SAN ANTONIO — Texas’ Hill Country and Big Bend regions are bracing for more dangerous flash flooding, impacting over 2.5 million residents. Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for 59 counties on Tuesday due to heavy rains and flooding.
NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 4 out of 4 flash flood risk specifically for southern Texas Hill Country, while a Level 3 risk extends across other parts of the Hill Country and the San Antonio area through Thursday morning.
Kerrville, which experienced devastating flooding last July 4 that resulted in 135 fatalities, is among the communities at risk near the Guadalupe River.
Since Tuesday morning, Uvalde has been inundated with nearly a foot of rain, with more heavy precipitation anticipated. Photographs from north of Uvalde captured floodwaters reaching nearly 5 feet on roadside markers.
The Uvalde police reported conducting 24 water rescues on Tuesday.
Robert Ray, a Senior Correspondent for FOX Weather, noted significant washouts and impassable roads near Durnis, Texas, following about 10 inches of rainfall.
Road closures are widespread in both Kerrville and Hondo.
“Medina County Sheriff’s Deputies are assessing flooded roads,” stated the Medina County Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday morning.
Governor Abbott mentioned the deployment of a Black Hawk helicopter and other rescue teams in response to the ongoing emergency.
Resources from the National Guard and state officials have been activated in advance of the storm, with the FOX Prediction Center forecasting an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain through Friday, and up to 5 inches in some areas.
Flood watches for potentially life-threatening flooding are in effect throughout Central and Southwest Texas, covering cities like Austin, Kerrville, and Del Rio until Thursday.
A broader Level 1 flash flood threat extends across central and north Texas, affecting regions in Arkansas, northern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
“Due to a lack of external forces to move the storm, heavy rain is likely to persist in the same areas over consecutive days,” warned the FOX Prediction Center.
This mounting risk for flooding occurs just after severe flash flooding was reported along the Black River in southeast Missouri, with incidents starting Friday and continuing into the weekend.
