National Weather Service issues high-risk rain alert for Texas as flooding threatens up to 20 inches
The National Weather Service has placed parts of Texas under a rare high-risk warning for excessive rain, forecasting up to 20 additional inches and warning of possible catastrophic flooding.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a rare high-risk alert for excessive rain in southwestern Texas, where recent downpours have already produced six inches to a foot of rain in Medina, Uvalde and Bandera counties. Forecasters said additional rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning could add another 10 to 20 inches in the highest-risk zones, raising the possibility of "catastrophic" flooding conditions.
A high-risk designation means meteorologists are confident flash flooding could occur within 25 miles of the affected area, an alert level that is seldom used. The agency warned that the risk of significant flash flooding would continue across the Hill Country and toward the Rio Grande, with potential impacts extending to major cities such as San Antonio, Austin and Houston, as well as parts of Louisiana.
The Weather Prediction Center noted that the moist atmospheric pattern could produce "surprises" as the rain moves eastward. Flood watches covered about one-third of Texas on Tuesday and are expected to remain in place through Thursday, while flash-flood warnings—indicating imminent or ongoing flooding—are likely to continue throughout the week.