Governor Abbott declares disaster for 59 counties as more rain forecast
Heavy downpours in South Texas washed out highways and stranded motorists Tuesday as forecasters warned that a slow-moving storm system could bring catastrophic flooding to already saturated counties west of San Antonio. The National Weather Service said storms dumped up to 16 inches of rain in some rural areas, with emergency crews conducting at least two dozen rescues across the region.
Officials shut down parts of a highway near Uvalde, about 80 miles west of San Antonio, as water covered roadways. A flash flood warning was in effect for the San Antonio area, with torrential downpours expected through the afternoon. Most parts of the metro area were forecast to receive between 2 and 4 inches of rain.
“This is called a typical mid-summer tropical weather pattern that happens in Texas,” Monte Oaks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the Associated Press. “About once every five years, we’ll get socked in with a daily recurrence of heavy rain chances that’s generally produced by a stagnant kind of a pattern with a low-pressure center that’s just not moving very fast.”
The National Weather Service warned that storms overnight into Wednesday could dump more than a foot of additional rain in some places, creating potentially catastrophic impacts from flash flooding in areas west of San Antonio. Parts of the region were upgraded to a rare Level 4 “high” risk of excessive rainfall, indicating that flash flooding is likely. The service said “intense rain rates and compounding effects from multiple rounds of storms will result in a dangerous flash flooding threat through Thursday.”
Areas of central Texas, including the Hill Country and Kerrville, remained at moderate risk of flash flooding. Two years ago, an area bordering the Guadalupe River experienced flash flooding that killed at least 139 people.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 59 Texas counties as the severe storms continued to threaten the region. In a statement on X, Abbott posted a weather map showing that 20 inches of rain could fall in some areas, writing: “Texans, this is JUST ONE of the weather scenarios I have been referring to in my disaster declaration. Note the amount of rain and the early morning hour it is being predicted. We have deployed rescue teams, Blackhawk helicopters & state personnel to respond to this danger.” He advised Texans to “heed weather warnings and local advisories.”
Forecasters said the pattern could persist through Thursday, with additional rainfall totals between 3 and 7 inches expected and isolated higher totals of up to 15 inches possible.