Another round of slow-moving storms with heavy rain is hitting already flooded areas of central and southwest Texas on Wednesday, raising the possibility of life-threatening flooding once again.
Continued rain has caused dozens of water rescues in the region, with forecasters warning of more potentially devastating rain. Areas facing more heavy rain include the Texas Hill Country, where devastating flash flooding last July killed more than 130 people, including 25 girls and two counselors at Camp Mystic.
Wednesday was the second day in a row that the National Weather Prediction Center announced the highest risk of heavy rains causing flooding. This is the first time since April 2025 that the agency has issued a warning on consecutive days.
By the end of Tuesday, at least 45 people had been pulled from floodwaters in Uvalde County, multiple additional rescues had been conducted in neighboring Medina County, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott had issued a disaster declaration for 59 counties.
The flooding threat, which escalated Wednesday, includes slow torrential rain falling on top of areas already soaked with 6 to 12 inches of rain Monday and Tuesday. The threat of catastrophic flooding will not ease until Friday, as the storm will dump rain at a rate of 2 to 4 inches per hour.
Areas most at risk for Wednesday’s dangerous flash flooding are roughly the same areas that flooded Tuesday, including parts of the Western Hill Country, the Edwards Plateau and the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border. The surrounding area is at very severe level 3/4 risk.
Given how wet the ground is from Tuesday’s storm, flooding problems could begin as early as Wednesday. There will also be less rain to cause severe flooding, and the rain will quickly turn into runoff rather than infiltrating into the ground.
This type of pattern, where storms repeatedly hit the same area, is a “worst-case scenario,” according to the Weather Prediction Center.
Flood watches are in effect for more than 6 million people in south central and southwest Texas, including Austin, Del Rio, San Angelo and San Antonio. Flooding may occur on roads and urban areas, and some homes may be submerged, the center warned. Creeks, streams, and rivers may rise, causing moderate to severe flooding in some areas.
Areas hit repeatedly Wednesday could see double-digit rainfall totals since rain began earlier this week.
The areas most at risk for flash flooding in Texas are expected to shrink some by Thursday, but will still include some of the hardest-hit areas. Additional flooding is possible everywhere from Del Rio to Midland to San Angelo. Farther east, the flooding threat extends to the Gulf Coast, with at least localized flooding possible in Houston.
The downpour storm will begin to weaken significantly on Friday, leaving the threat of low-level flooding primarily in the western part of the state.
In total, parts of central and southwest Texas are expected to see several more inches of rain over the weekend. The exact total will vary depending on where the heavier downpours continue.
Up to 15 inches of rain could fall in the worst-hit areas.
Del Rio saw more than 6 inches of visibility, about what the city typically sees from June to August. A total of about 10 inches of rain equals half of the average annual precipitation in just a few days.
These extreme rainfall events are becoming more frequent as temperatures rise due to pollution from global warming. That’s because warmer air holds more moisture, and localized heavy rain can cause storms to squeeze water out like a wet sponge.
The Hill Country is especially prone to flooding problems because of steep slopes, shallow soils, and exposed rock that repel heavy rainfall rather than absorbing it.
Adding to the threat is a stagnant front and abundant moisture in the Gulf colliding with energy pockets in the upper atmosphere, a notorious recipe for slow-moving storm swarms that can dump 2 to 4 inches of rain per hour.
