Deadly Flooding Strikes Texas as Fires Burn Across the Carolinas

This past week brought a relentless onslaught of extreme weather across the United States. Texas was hit with devastating floods, while wildfires in the Carolinas spread rapidly, forcing evacuations. Emergency crews are still working tirelessly to manage the aftermath, and the road to recovery will be long for many communities.

Deadly Flooding Grips the Lone Star State

To say it was a wet week for South Texas is an understatement. A major rain event sent up to 21 inches of rain falling across parts of the state in a period of just three days. The flooding has been blamed for at least four fatalities with the bulk of the damage happening along the border with Mexico.

Hundreds of residents were trapped in cars and homes as the floodwaters began to rise. Three of the fatalities happened in Hidalgo County. Local officials declared a disaster in this part of the state to free up additional resources.

It is also being reported that a man drowned in the town of Reynosa, Mexico. The country's Civil Protection Coordination said that almost 700 people had been rescued.

Over 21 inches of rain was measured in an area just west of Harlingen, Texas. To put the rainfall amount into perspective, the community typically sees about 24 inches of rain over the course of the entire year.

The first floor of a hospital was completely flooded in McAllen, Texas. Staff had to send ambulance patients to other treatment centers and pause visitation hours. Other communities that recorded over 18 inches of rain include Rio Hondo, Stuart Place, Santa Rosa, and Tierra Bonita.

The heavy rain resulted in two flash flood warnings being put into effect early Friday.

While the heaviest rain bands have dissipated, officials are warning that the threat of river flooding will persist through the early part of next week. It is important to note that river flooding is known as a slow-moving disaster. It takes time for rivers to reach flood stage and spill over the banks.

The Rio Grande River near San Benito was measuring at 40.37 feet as of Friday morning. Forecasters believe that the water levels will increase to 48.6 feet by the end of the day Saturday and hit a massive 51.4 feet by Tuesday.