As storms batter the South, the Texas Hill Country is experiencing major flooding. Parts of the region are still recovering from the devastating floods that killed more than 130 people in July.
More than 9 inches of rain has fallen in parts of the western Hill Country since Thursday morning, prompting a flash flood emergency, the highest level of flood warning, for about 1,300 people in southeastern Concho, western McCulloch and central Menard counties Thursday afternoon.
County Judge Brandon Corbin said in a statement Thursday afternoon that officials have ordered precautionary evacuations of local RV parks and area campgrounds due to heavy rain.
The flash flood emergency was downgraded to a regular flood warning Thursday night, but authorities remain on alert. The Western Hill Country could see up to an additional inch of rain before nightfall.
Video shows massive flooding in Texas Hill Country
Several flash flood warnings were in effect for the region on Thursday, with the risk of flooding rainfall at level 2/4. Localized flooding is also possible Thursday in the rest of central and north Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth. And a second round of heavy rains since Sunday could add to the state’s flooding concerns.
The storms were “training” over the Hill Country, or moving side by side, one after the other, like trains on a railroad track. The storm will begin moving eastward from the flooded areas this evening, with no threat of further heavy rain.
Torrential rain is especially dangerous in hill country terrain. Narrow canyons and fast-reacting streams cannot withstand several hours of training storms.
Farther north, a flash flood warning was issued as storms moved through Dallas-Fort Worth Thursday morning. Several roads were closed due to flooding in areas north of Dallas, according to the National Weather Service. It was raining 2-4 inches. More rain into the evening could bring another 1 to 4 inches of rain.
A flood watch is in effect until early Friday morning along much of the I-35 corridor from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to Austin.
After a dry Friday and Saturday, a second round of severe storms is expected to reach Texas as the weekend approaches. The National Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 2/4 flood risk for northern and central Texas from Sunday through Monday.
This much rain is typically reserved for the summer, but the unseasonably warm weather in the South is raising the bar for how much moisture these storms can wring out of the atmosphere.
If you’re in the Hill Country or other parts of Texas, keep your cell phone charged, your alerts on, and avoid driving on flooded roads.
