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NWS issued a life-threatening flash flood emergency for Hardin and Tyler counties in southeast Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.<\/p>\n
National Weather Service<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service issued a life-threatening\u00a0flash flood emergency for Hardin and Tyler counties in southeast Texas Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
Thunderstorms had dumped between 10 and 21 inches of rain as of 5:46 a.m., and the expected rainfall rate was between 1 to 5 inches per hour, according to the weather service. Flash flooding was underway in the area, and the emergency would be in place until 10:45 a.m., according to the NWS.<\/p>\n
“Seek higher ground now!” a weather service graphic stated.<\/p>\n
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The downpour came as the remnants of Tropical Storm Edouard\u00a0moved north through Texas<\/a> after making landfall in Louisiana<\/a> a day earlier. The storm knocked out power for tens of thousands<\/a> of Texans, and over a dozen school districts in southeast Texas closed on Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n TRACK THE STORM: Follow the path of the fifth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.<\/a><\/p>\n Chronicle journalists are tracking the storm and its impacts throughout the region. Follow below for the latest updates.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Although the heaviest rain has remained north and east of Houston, a flash flood emergency and multiple flash flood warnings are in effect across the Piney Woods.<\/p>\n More downpours could develop closer<\/a> to Houston later Wednesday, keeping the threat of flooding in place through the evening and possibly into Thursday morning. The\u00a0rain could shift closer to Houston and the Interstate 10 corridor this afternoon, possibly before the evening commute. A few hours of heavy downpours could drop 2 to 4 inches of rain, creating new flooding on streets and in low-lying areas.<\/p>\n Conditions will vary widely across the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The most dangerous conditions are in Hardin and Tyler counties, where a flash flood emergency remains<\/a> in effect through 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Between 10 and 21 inches of rain had fallen across parts of the flash flood emergency area in Hardin and Tyler counties as of 5:46 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, La.<\/p>\n Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy said flooding in the county is “A moving target. There\u2019s no way to gauge right now until it\u2019s all over.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI do think the public needs to be aware that it may look great at your house but you might run into trees or power lines or water if you decide to travel in this weather,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThe problem is that it\u2019s a very compact weather event<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy also said that people have contacted fire and police for help evacuating.<\/p>\n “Not all family members are willing to leave because they are panicked and think the water will recede,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Polk County officials said as of 10 a.m Wednesday first responders have assisted several residents who voluntarily evacuated their homes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n County officials said no rescues had been conducted as of 10 a.m. Polk County utility providers were also assessing damages to infrastructure and planning necessary repairs, officials said.<\/p>\n However, Polk County was opening a shelter at 11 a.m. in Livingston at 1103 Dunbar Ave. Officials in Polk County said that while some areas got around 8 inches of rain, others got up to 15.<\/p>\n A flash flood warning was in effect for areas in\u00a0Polk and Liberty counties Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n – Tanya Babbar<\/a> The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center<\/a> has placed portions of San Jacinto, Polk, Liberty, Hardin and Tyler counties under a rare high risk of flash flooding.<\/p>\n This level of risk only accounts for 4% of days, but accounts for a third of all flood-related fatalities and 80% of flood-related damages. Lake Charles, Beaumont, and the Houston area account for the top 3 U.S. locations where high risk flood days occur most often, typically with\u00a0landfalling tropical systems.<\/p>\n In a 9:30 a.m. National Weather Service update from the Lake Charles region, forecasters warned to expect additional flooding, potentially catastrophic for Southeast Texas, through today and into tonight.<\/p>\n Additionally, the flood watch for Harris, Montgomery and Liberty counties has been extended until 7 a.m. Thursday.<\/p>\n In Warren, an unincorporated community in Tyler County of less than 1,000 residents, the volunteer fire department members slept at the station overnight to be ready if anyone needed assistance.<\/p>\n
– Kathleen Ortiz<\/a><\/p>\n