MCALLEN, Texas – At least three people have died and hundreds have been rescued following severe storms that moved across the southern part of Texas on Thursday and Friday. 

What we know:

According to a report by the Associated Press, officials said the City of Harlingen received more than 21 inches of rain this week, with the heaviest rainfall on Thursday, causing authorities to rescue more than 200 residents. 200 additional people were still waiting to be rescued. 

In Alamo, the police and fire department responded to more than 100 water rescues, including people stranded in their vehicles and trapped in their homes, Fire Department Chief R.C. Flores said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Officials estimated a couple hundred homes in Alamo were flooded by the heavy rainfall.

Weslaco Mayor Adrian Gonzalez said his city was inundated with about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain, prompting 30 to 40 water rescues of stranded motorists and residents trapped in their homes by rising floodwaters.

What they’re saying:

“This of course has been a historic and challenging event for the city. But Harlingen is strong. We have faced adversity before and we will get through this together,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said at a Friday afternoon news conference.

“I assure the public that we are assessing the situation on the hour, every hour. We’re constantly going out, not just in our city,” Flores said. “Just because the storm is over, it doesn’t mean that the emergencies and the disaster is over. We are going to continue to work as long as we need to.”

“It’s a historic rainstorm and it’s affecting all the Valley, not just Weslaco. It’s just so much water in a short period of time,” Gonzalez told reporters at a news conference.

By the numbers:

In neighboring Cameron County, officials asked Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a disaster for the county after more than 17 inches of rain caused significant flooding.

“The rainfall amounts we received have been record-setting, and not in a good way. All county resources are being utilized right now, and we are assisting in all ways possible,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county’s top elected official, said in a Facebook post.

Valley International Airport in Harlingen was closed on Friday and all flights were canceled due to area flooding.

“We are working tirelessly to reopen and focused on ensuring safety,” airport officials said in a statement.

Flood warning still in effect

A flood warning was still in effect for portions of South Texas, including Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties, through early Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

“There’s a break from the rain this morning, which will allow flood waters to gradually recede, but we’ll still need to keep an eye on the development of isolated showers and thunderstorms once again this afternoon,” the National Weather Service said on social media. “Any additional rainfall will be quick to cause flooding issues given the heavy rainfall that has already fallen.”

Power Outages

More than 3,400 in several counties in South Texas remained without power on Friday afternoon, according to AEP Texas.

School canceled

More than 20 South Texas school districts and college campuses canceled classes on Friday due to the severe weather and flooding.

PHOTOS/VIDEOS OF SOUTH TEXAS FLOODING

Dig deeper:

Here are some photos and video of the flooding and as well as the damage left behind:

A disturbing history of suspected inappropriate behavior has been revealed after a North Texas doctor was accused of groping a woman on an American Airlines flight last week – his third alleged offense in the last three years.

Cherian Abraham, 55, is accused of inappropriately touching a woman while on a flight from Chicago to Seattle on March 18, 2025, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. 

On Monday, Abraham was arrested following a federal investigation into allegations that he touched a woman’s breast without consent while traveling from Chicago to Seattle on American Airlines flight 2076.

MAN IN US ILLEGALLY WANTED FOR ALLEGEDLY GROPING 7-YEAR-OLD TEXAS GIRL ON HER WAY HOME FROM SCHOOL

A spokesperson for American Airlines told Fox News Digital that Abraham is no longer allowed to fly with them.

“We work closely with law enforcement to investigate any allegations of misconduct onboard our aircraft,” the airline spokesperson said. 

“The safety of our customers and team members is our highest priority. We take this matter very seriously and are working closely with law enforcement on its investigation,” the statement read. 

ALASKA AIRLINES PASSENGER CAPTURED BY FBI AFTER REPEATEDLY GROPING WOMAN ON FLIGHT

Law enforcement officials interviewed Abraham following the flight. They said he denied intentionally touching the woman, claiming it was an accident. Abraham also claimed to have no history of similar accusations against him. 

Abraham is a doctor at the Digestive Health Center of North Richland Hills, board-certified in gastroenterology, according to the medical center’s website.

When Fox News Digital asked about his arrest, the medical center declined to comment. 

Court records revealed that this was not Abraham’s first time being accused of inappropriate behavior while flying.

CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED TO 1 YEAR PROBATION FOR GROPING WOMEN ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT

A 55-year-old man, Cherian Abraham, is accused of groping a 22-year-old woman on an American Airlines flight from Chicago to Seattle on March 18. (iStock)

Abraham was previously accused of groping two other women in separate incidents in 2023 and 2024, records show. 

In April 2024, a woman reported that Abraham inappropriately touched her multiple times before placing his hands between her legs, after she repeatedly yelled at him to stop. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The first accusation took place in October 2023 after another woman reported that Abraham touched her leg three times before she told him to stop. The woman reported Abraham’s unwanted actions to a flight attendant, but did not press charges.

Charges have not been filed yet against Abraham, but according to an FBI complaint obtained by the Dallas Morning News, officials found “probable cause” that Abraham committed the offense of abusive sexual contact.

Abraham has since been released on appearance bond subject to several conditions, the outlet reported, which include certain travel restrictions and the surrender of any current or expired passports.

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com