CNN
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Abandoned vehicles littered submerged roads across South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley Thursday and Friday after over half year’s worth of rain – approaching a full year’s worth in some places – caused at least four deaths and forced dozens of water rescues near the US-Mexico border.
Intense thunderstorms on top of heavy rain since Wednesday dumped more than a foot of rain on the region and triggered rare flash flood emergencies and flooding that began on Thursday afternoon.
It’s yet another example of overwhelming rainfall becoming more frequent in a warming world, as rising global temperatures push weather toward the extremes. The United States saw a record number of flash flood emergencies last year.
Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties – all located on the southern tip of the state along the Mexican border – bore the brunt of the heavy storms that pounded South Texas for about 48 hours.
Four flash flood emergencies – the most serious flash flood warning – were issued Thursday night into early Friday morning in Hidalgo and Cameron counties as the National Weather Service warned of life-threatening flash flooding.
At least three deaths were reported in Hidalgo County Friday, Carlos Sanchez, the county’s director of public affairs, told CNN. No information was immediately available, except that it “involved law enforcement efforts,” a statement from the county said. The county also issued a declaration of local disaster to help in cleanup operations, it said.
An 83-year-old man drowned in Reynosa, Mexico, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Over 690 people were rescued in the state after heavy rains caused flooding, according to Mexico’s Civil Protection Coordination.
Law enforcement in Willacy County were still working to save residents trapped in their homes Friday after about 12 to 15 inches of rain pummeled the area over a six-hour period, the county’s Emergency Management Coordinator Frank Torres said.
“Last night, we were in boats in waist-deep water through some of the streets in downtown Sebastian,” Torres told CNN on Friday. “It’s my understanding that it is still pretty deep. In fact, a couple of people have called and said it’s gotten worse since last night.”
While no deaths have been reported from this week’s storm, some injuries have been reported from traffic crashes, he said. Torres, a lifelong Willacy County resident, said he hasn’t seen this kind of deluge since Hurricane Beulah in September 1967.
The City of Alamo, in Hidalgo County, declared a local state of disaster after being “hit hard by the recent storms,” Mayor J.R. Garza said during a news conference Friday.
“Our teams have been working around the clock. We are not alone in this. Cities across the valley are facing the same challenges and we’re all working together to get through it,” Garza said.
Alamo fire and police conducted approximately 100 rescues due to flooding, said Police Chief Saul Solis, who estimated around a couple hundred homes were impacted.
Earlier, Alamo Fire Chief RC Flores told CNN affiliate KRGV at one point, an emergency vehicle was unable to rescue a pregnant woman having contractions near a Walmart but a fire truck eventually made it through the floodwaters.
Water rescues were also performed in neighboring Cameron County, according to the National Weather Service, which urged people to seek higher ground as the life-threatening flash floods hit.
In the Cameron County city of Harlingen, nearly a year’s worth of rain fell in less than 48 hours and triggered extensive flooding.
“Many of our streets flooded, some homes took in water, and there are still residents who haven’t made it home,” Harlingen District 5 Commissioner Rene Perez posted Friday morning on Facebook.
“Vehicles remain stranded across the city, and we know this storm has disrupted lives in a big way,” Perez continued.
Between 18 and 21 inches of rain gushed over parts of the city from Wednesday to early Friday, with the majority falling on Thursday alone, according to the National Weather Service. Harlingen typically gets about 24 inches of rain in a year.
Other parts of the Rio Grande Valley also saw more than a foot of rain from Wednesday afternoon to Friday morning.
Port Isabel, Texas, recorded half a year’s worth of rain after 13 inches fell in that time frame. Port Isabel’s deluge marks a 1-in-100-year rainfall event while Harlingen’s is close to a 1-in-500-year event.
Some thunderstorms turned severe and unleashed damaging winds as the rain came gushing down Thursday. At least one thunderstorm also produced a brief tornado in neighboring Hidalgo County Thursday afternoon.
Portions of Interstate 2 in Hidalgo County were underwater and abandoned vehicles lined the roadway early Friday morning.
More than 8 inches of rain drenched McAllen, Texas, the county’s largest city.
South Texas Health System’s hospital in McAllen experienced minor flooding Thursday afternoon on the facility’s first floor from issues with the stormwater drain, according to a hospital spokesperson.
A video circulating on social media showed a forceful stream of water bursting a wall open at the hospital, with water reaching ankle height flowing through a corridor.
The hospital briefly diverted walk-in and ambulance patients to other nearby hospitals and paused visitation hours, it said in a Thursday evening update on Instagram. The hospital was reopening to visitors on Friday, though some parts of the first floor could be “restricted” because of the damage.
Rain ended in waterlogged South Texas late Friday morning and shifted north into eastern Texas and Louisiana.
Flood risks won’t end even though the rain is over. Swollen rivers could breach their banks in the coming days as floodwater filters back into area waterways.
“Stay away or be swept away,” the weather service warned. “River banks and culverts can become unstable and unsafe.”
The weather service also cautioned against entering flooded roads. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” it noted.
