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:
South Texas flooding: Cars drive through floodwaters
Cars were seen driving through floodwaters in South Texas on Thursday, March 27, as the National Weather Service (NWS) said that severe thunderstorms were affecting the region. (Jorge Alberto Galicia via Storyful)
FM 506 near La Feria, Texas, is left flooded on Friday morning. (Photo: Amanda Rubio)
The Source: Information provided by The Associated Press
