AUSTIN, Texas — Texas was grappling with two major disasters at the same time Wednesday morning: widespread flooding in East Texas after former Tropical Storm Edouard and a massive wildfire burning hundreds of miles away.
In East Texas, floodwater swallowed roads and left cars underwater as Edouard dumped nearly two feet of rain in some areas.
Dozens of people were rescued, and in Hardin County alone, 12 drivers were rescued from flooded roads. Thousands were still without power Wednesday morning.
ALSO | Texas A&M Forest Service: Ross Fire was human-caused
Fishermen cast their lines in surf stirred up by Tropical Storm Edouard in Galveston, Texas, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
One resident speaking from Livingston on Wednesday described how quickly conditions changed.
“We were woken by the wind, and then when my husband called me, I got up. It wasn’t even flooded; it was nothing like this, and maybe around 9:30. It just happened fast, really fast,” she said.
Another from Port Arthur said the flooding underscored the need to prepare.
“You can’t just rely on ‘oh it’s no big deal,’ so you make plans, but you pray for the best, and you hope. After Harvey, I knew anything could happen,” she said.
Meanwhile, a couple hundred miles northwest, the Ross Fire had burned more than 90,000 acres and was 38% contained. Officials said the fire was human-caused and started along a roadway. Investigators initially pointed to a blown tire, but now say exactly how it started is unclear, other than that it involved equipment or a vehicle along the road.
A fast-moving wildfire burning west of Fort Worth has exploded in size, forcing evacuations in parts of North Texas and destroying structures as crews race to contain it. (KTVT)
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported 157 structures had been destroyed and 140 damaged, while firefighters had saved more than 450.
With major flood response and wildfire operations unfolding at the same time, questions remained about whether resources were being moved or shared between the two disasters and whether Texas has enough resources to handle both.