Severe flooding hit South Texas and parts of Mexico on Thursday, bringing a staggering amount of rain to the region. In less than two days, the area received half a year’s worth of rainfall, leading to widespread disruption. Officials warned that more rain was on the way for Friday, prompting school closures on the U.S. side of the border.
The National Weather Service reported that thunderstorms dumped between 10 to 15 inches of rain in areas where flash flood warnings were in effect. Geoffrey Bogorad, a senior forecaster in Brownsville, indicated that an additional four inches could fall, raising concerns about further flash floods.
The heavy rain caused significant flooding, impacting homes and roads. At least nine school districts in the Rio Grande Valley decided to cancel classes for Friday. Records were broken in several South Texas cities, with Harlingen receiving 12 inches and McAllen 11 inches in just 24 hours. This region typically gets around 25 inches of rain each year, making this event particularly unusual.
The Weather Service described the situation as extremely dangerous, warning that the flash flooding posed life-threatening risks and could lead to catastrophic damage. They advised people not to travel unless they were evacuating from flooded areas.
As the region braces for more rain, residents are urged to stay safe and heed warnings from officials.