Where dangerous flooding could hit Texas this week

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is preparing for the latest round of wet weather in the Lone Star State this week.

Abbott said Monday that Texas has activated emergency resources, including rescue boats and Black Hawk helicopters, as forecasters warn of days of heavy rain and potentially dangerous flash flooding across much of the state.

In a post on social media, Abbott said the state also stands ready to deploy the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety as needed ahead of what is expected to be a multi-day stretch of storms.

“I have activated emergency resources including rescue boats and Blackhawk helicopters,” Abbott wrote Monday morning, urging Texans to monitor local forecasts and heed warnings from emergency officials.

The preparations come as meteorologists warn that repeated rounds of thunderstorms could dump several inches of rain across parts of Central, West and East Texas through the week, raising the risk of flash flooding.

Per the Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), heavy rain and flash flooding are expected in Central Texas and much of East Texas from Monday morning through Tuesday morning (the incoming storm will also likely stretch east to Georgia and South Carolina).

Rainfall is expected to continue in Texas on Tuesday into Wednesday, and per the FOX Forecast Center, the Gulf Coast of Texas will likely see up to three inches of rain. Central Texas and West Texas are expected to experience the most severe storms, where up to eight inches of rain could fall by Thursday. There is currently a Level 3 flash flood risk in West Texas, which stretches east to cover Big Bend and the area north of San Antonio. 

“Flash flooding possible over the northern Rio Grande plains, Big Bend, and TX Hill Country late today into Wednesday,” Harris County meteorologist Jeff Linder posted on Facebook early Monday morning. “Normally low-flowing or dry creeks and rivers may see rapid rises and flash flooding with little notice. Those near rivers and creeks should monitor the weather closely and be prepared to seek higher ground quickly.

“A level 3 out of 4 flash flood risk is now in place for Tuesday and Wednesday for this area.”

The latest round of storms comes just over a year after catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country during the July Fourth holiday that killed 135 people along the Guadalupe River, underscoring the heightened concern surrounding this week’s forecast.

Texas Storm Chasers predicts a “marginal”  (five to 15 percent) flood risk across Texas on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will feature a “slight” flood risk of 15 to 40 percent.