Live updates: Life-threatening flash flood threat targets Texas, Louisiana amid tropical trouble
11:55 AM ET Just NowBreaking News
Classes canceled and employees told to shelter in place at STC Mid-Valley campus
Flash flooding hitting the region has forced South Texas College to cancel all classes at its Mid-Valley campus until further notice.
In addition to the academic cancellations, campus officials have issued an urgent directive instructing all STC employees currently on-site to shelter in place as hazardous conditions escalate outside.
In a post on X, the college says administrators are actively monitoring the storm and will provide official updates as new information becomes available, advising the campus community to remain tuned to local weather stations and monitor STC’s social media platforms for safety announcements.
11:51 AM ET 3 Min Ago
Life-threatening Flash Flood Warning issued for southeastern Hidalgo County
The National Weather Service has issued a critical Flash Flood Warning for southeastern Hidalgo County until 1:00 p.m. CT this afternoon as relentless tropical downpours slam the area.
Doppler radar indicates that between 2.5 and 6 inches of rain have already fallen across the region, with additional rain rates of up to 1.5 inches per hour threatening to exacerbate the ongoing, life-threatening flash flooding.
Communities including Weslaco, Donna, and Mercedes are bracing for impacts, with emergency officials warning that roads, highways, and low-lying urban underpasses could rapidly become completely impassable.
10:55 AM ET 1 HR Ago
Dangerous and life-threatening flooding slams Texas amid heavy rain
Ryan Dirker from the Waco Office of Emergency Management joined FOX Weather to talk about how his city is responding to this ongoing threat.
10:52 AM ET 1 HR Ago
Swiftwater boat teams on standby in Austin as flood threat surges
The Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Agency in Texas confirmed that first responders successfully resolved an overnight flood incident involving a single stranded driver.
No injuries were reported from the scene, which stands as the only rescue call emergency personnel responded to last night in Austin.
Local authorities are taking no chances with this week’s flash flood threat and have officially placed specialized swiftwater boat teams on standby to respond immediately if flash flooding escalates.
10:45 AM ET 1 HR Ago
City of Boerne shuts down all public trails as rising Cibolo Creek floods local paths
Heavy morning rain has prompted the City of Boerne in Texas to close all city trails and numerous streets until further notice due to dangerous, rising water levels.
Severe flash flooding along Cibolo Creek has sent water spilling over into several trail sections, leaving them completely submerged and unsafe for public use.
The flooding has also significantly impacted local traffic, forcing city crews to shut down multiple roadways. Among the most critical closures is Herff Road at River Road, where conditions continue to deteriorate as Cibolo Creek swells.
City personnel are actively monitoring the situation and will reopen transportation and recreational paths only after water levels have safely receded.
10:43 AM ET 1 HR Ago
Firefighters rescue 15 stranded campers from fast-rising floodwaters in Oklahoma
A weekend camping trip turned into an emergency operation on Sunday morning when Tahlequah firefighters and multiple local agencies rushed to rescue 15 campers stranded by fast-rising floodwaters in Oklahoma.
The group was caught off guard at Littlefields at Spring Creek, located just outside of the Peggs community in northern Cherokee County.
Law enforcement personnel arriving first on the scene determined that the campers were completely trapped by the encroaching water, requiring rescue boats to safely navigate to the campsite, which sat an estimated quarter of a mile away from the nearest accessible county road.
The rescue quickly became a highly coordinated, multi-agency effort as Tahlequah firefighters joined emergency responders from Peggs, the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA), Illinois River, and Locust Grove at a central staging area.
Crews successfully launched rescue boats into the turbulent waters to reach the isolated site.
Thanks to the swift and seamless collaboration among the various departments, all 15 campers were safely transported back to the staging area with no injuries reported.
Click here to see the full Facebook post from the Tahlequah Fire Department.
10:29 AM ET 1 HR Ago
More than 25 million Americans under flood alerts from Texas to Mississippi
The sheer scale of the dangerous weather setup gripping the Deep South is coming into focus this morning, with more than 25 million Americans currently under some type of flood alert.
The massive zone of concern stretches all the way from South Texas, across most of Louisiana, and well into Mississippi.
10:16 AM ET 1 HR AgoDeveloping Story
NWS Houston issues urgent warning for rare flood risk as record moisture takes aim
The National Weather Service office in Houston has issued a stark warning this morning as a dangerous weather pattern begins to take shape over Southeast Texas.
Meteorologists warn that the atmosphere is primed to become exceptionally optimized for rain efficiency through late in the workweek.
Morning forecast soundings reveal a textbook setup for deluge conditions: precipitable water (PWAT) values approaching a staggering 2.3 to 2.6 inches. These moisture values skyrocket well past the 90th climatological percentile, even shattering daily records for this time of year.
A dangerous weather pattern is beginning to take shape over SE Texas early today with hazardous weather conditions anticipated through late in the work week.
– National Weather Service Houston/Galveston, Texas
As a cold front drifts south and stalls, it will act as a relentless lifting mechanism to unleash widespread showers and thunderstorms today.
The threat escalates significantly into Tuesday and Wednesday as an atmospheric “X-Factor” enters the picture—a trough of low pressure currently over northeastern Mexico drifting toward the Texas coastal bend.
Even if this low fails to undergo official tropical development, its interaction with the record-rich airmass has historically produced catastrophic rain.
Because of this, the Weather Prediction Center has placed the region under a rare “moderate risk” (level 3 out of 4) for excessive rain, forecasting widespread totals of 3 to 8 inches with blinding rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour—and up to 5 inches per hour possible near the coast.
Meteorologists emphasize that a “moderate risk” is a seldom-issued, high-impact designation, pointing out the chilling reality that roughly 1 out of 5 historical flood fatalities occur during these specific risk days.
10:08 AM ET 1 HR Ago
Flooding causes significant road damage and prompts multiple water rescues in Sisterdale
The Sisterdale Volunteer Fire Department in Texas is reporting significant damage to local roads after torrential floodwaters ripped through the area this morning.
Emergency crews remain actively deployed across the Sisterdale region, responding to a dangerous string of multiple incidents involving both vehicles and individuals who have become stranded in rising low-water crossings.
9:48 AM ET 2 HRS AgoBreaking News
Flash flooding leaves multiple roads underwater and impassable at Keesler Air Force Base
The relentless flash flood threat impacting coastal Mississippi has prompted road closures inside Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi.
Base officials report that torrential downpours have left multiple roadways entirely underwater and completely impassable to traffic.
Personnel and residents on the installation are being urged to avoid all non-essential travel and remain weather-aware as emergency crews monitor the rising waters across the base.
9:43 AM ET 2 HRS Ago
Tremendous rain threatens a broad swath from Houston to Corpus Christi today
The stage is set for a day of tremendous, highly dangerous rain along the Texas Gulf Coast as two distinct atmospheric features collide directly over the region.
Flooding downpours are currently surging south toward the coast, meeting a massive plume of abundant tropical moisture that is flowing directly north off the warm waters of the Gulf of America.
This powerful convergence is expected to unleash relentless, heavy rain across a vulnerable corridor stretching all the way from Houston through Victoria and down to Corpus Christi, with FOX Weather meteorologists warning that rapid urban and flash flooding will remain an immediate threat throughout the day.
9:27 AM ET 2 HRS Ago
Torrential rain swamps coastal Mississippi with severe flash flooding this morning
Flash flooding has hit coastal Mississippi this morning, prompting alarming reports from the Biloxi area.
Torrential downpours have completely inundated local neighborhoods, with water levels reportedly reaching halfway up to neighborhood mailboxes in some severely impacted areas.
Some roads from Biloxi through Saint Martin are currently submerged under 1 to 2 feet of standing water, making travel extraordinarily hazardous.
Local authorities are pleading with commuters to stay off flooded residential streets and main thoroughfares as infrastructure struggles to handle the immense runoff.
9:06 AM ET 2 HRS Ago
Analysis: Why the brewing Gulf disturbance is unlikely to earn an official tropical name this week
While a firehose of tropical moisture is poised to trigger historic flooding across the Deep South, the FOX Forecast Center notes that the system is highly unlikely to organize into Tropical Depression One or Tropical Storm Arthur this week.
The primary reason for this lack of development stems from the system’s current structure and its immediate environment.
The main upper-level area of circulation remains heavily disorganized and tucked over land in northeastern Mexico, which severely limits its ability to tap into the warm ocean waters needed to build a traditional tropical core.
Furthermore, as the disturbance attempts to edge toward the northwestern Gulf of America by midweek, it faces highly hostile atmospheric roadblocks. Unfavorable environmental conditions, including strong upper-level wind shear and pockets of dry air, are expected to tear at the system, preventing it from wrapping into a cohesive, symmetrical tropical cyclone.
June disturbances historically struggle against these early-season inhibitors, meaning the National Hurricane Center maintains a very low probability for development.
However, forecasters reiterate that whether the system receives a name or not has no bearing on its danger—the threat of catastrophic rain remains entirely unchanged.
9:01 AM ET 2 HRS Ago
Texas Department of Public Safety issues stark warning as vehicles stand stranded on I-35
The Central Texas Department of Public Safety is issuing a stark warning to drivers as first responders conducted rescue operations on southbound Interstate 35 between Waco and Hewitt overnight.
Multiple vehicles became completely stranded in deep floodwaters between mile markers 330 and 327, triggering massive traffic delays while crews work to safely clear the roadway.
The FOX Forecast Center is warning that a dangerous sense of complacency could leave millions of residents along the Texas Gulf Coast vulnerable to a catastrophic flooding event this week.
Because the chances of this system organizing into a named tropical storm or depression remain exceptionally low, many residents may assume the threat is minor.
However, history has repeatedly proven that “no-name” systems—unbound by the strict definitions of a tropical cyclone—can be just as devastating as a named hurricane when it comes to rainfall.
By focusing solely on wind speeds or a lack of a storm name, communities from Houston to Galveston risk being caught completely off guard by the sheer magnitude of what is coming.
The physical reality on the ground is that this type of unnamed storm carries the exact same water hazards as a major tropical system. Right now, an upper-level area of circulation is pulling near-record levels of Pacific and Gulf moisture directly into a stalled cold front.
This atmospheric alignment is acting as a relentless firehose, poised to dump an unbelievable 8 to 12 inches of rain over the region through much of the workweek.
Without the psychological trigger of a Tropical Storm Warning to prompt evacuations or emergency preparations, normal morning commutes can rapidly transform into life-threatening situations.
People must look past the lack of a name and recognize that the extreme Level 3 out of 4 flash flood threat facing the Texas and Louisiana coastlines is a high-end emergency demanding immediate readiness.
8:38 AM ET 3 HRS Ago
Driver trapped on I-35 near Waco shares terrifying encounter with fast-rising flash floods
A driver trapped on Interstate 35 near Waco is expressing profound gratitude this morning after narrowly escaping a terrifying flash flood ordeal on the highway.
Rick Smith recounted the harrowing experience of watching floodwaters fiercely cascade over a nearby retaining wall, noting how easily the situation could have turned into a horrible tragedy had the structure failed.
8:34 AM ET 3 HRS Ago
Overnight deluge dumps more than seven inches of rain across the Texas Hill Country
A powerful overnight deluge has left a massive swath of Central Texas waterlogged this morning, with the FOX Forecast Center recording eye-popping rain totals in the Texas Hill Country.
Isolated locations have already tracked more than 7 inches of rain since Sunday night, instantly overwhelming local creeks and drainage systems.
8:29 AM ET 3 HRS Ago
Catastrophic flash flood threat looms as historic rain totals target Houston and Galveston
The FOX Forecast Center is raising alarms over a truly staggering amount of tropical moisture targeted at the Gulf Coast region this week. Meteorologists are now projecting widespread rainfall totals of 8 to 12 inches to fall along the Texas Gulf Coast, with the extreme deluge stretching eastward across the entirety of Louisiana and deep into Mississippi.
The highest concerns are centered squarely on the major metropolitan hubs of Houston and Galveston, where these projected double-digit rain totals could trigger catastrophic flash flooding. Because local soils are already heavily saturated from previous weeks of stormy weather, any additional downpours will immediately turn into dangerous runoff.
8:18 AM ET 3 HRS Ago
Flash flooding on Highway 90 triggers massive San Antonio traffic delays
Flash flooding has overwhelmed US Highway 90 near Cupples Road in the San Antonio area.
Torrential rain has sent high water spilling directly across multiple lanes of the highway, bringing the morning commute to a halt.
Bumper-to-bumper delays are rapidly backing up for miles as eastbound drivers are forced to brake or divert away from the inundated highway.
8:11 AM ET 3 HRS Ago
Flash flooding swamps the Texas Hill Country and major metro areas
The FOX Forecast Center has received multiple reports of water rescues and flash flooding across Texas this morning.
Torrential rain has quickly translated into hazardous conditions on the ground. In the city of Austin, just under two dozen low-water crossings have already been closed to traffic due to rising waters.
The intensity of the deluge is further evidenced by Shoal Creek at 12th Street, which rapidly rose to a crest near 9 feet.
Farther south, the situation is equally critical as heavy downpours inundate the San Antonio area.
A trained spotter reports water is covering all four lanes of US Highway 90 at Cupples Road, severely impacting travel.
The flooding has turned life-threatening in Helotes, located on the northwest side of San Antonio, where numerous stranded vehicles and active water rescues are currently ongoing.
8:01 AM ET 3 HRS AgoDeveloping Story
Deep South faces days of potentially catastrophic flooding from a firehose of tropical moisture
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking an escalating and highly dangerous weather setup that places millions of residents across the Deep South at risk for widespread, locally catastrophic flash flooding this workweek.
Confidence continues to grow that a relentless firehose of moisture will soak the region through at least Thursday, prompting the issuance of rare Level 3 out of 4 flood threats day after day.
Major metro hubs including Houston, Corpus Christi, and Jackson, Mississippi, are all squarely in the crosshairs to face this high-end deluge at some point over the coming days.
The danger is being driven by a combination of atmospheric ingredients acting as a perfect storm for excessive rain.
Deep tropical moisture surging north out of the Gulf is colliding with a strong cold front dropping south. This boundary is expected to stall completely by midweek, creating an ideal tracks for slow-moving, repeating thunderstorms to dump immense amounts of rain over the exact same waterlogged communities.
At the same time, an upper-level area of circulation—packing the atmospheric remnants of former Eastern Pacific Tropical Storm Cristina—is moving out of Mexico and tapping into near-record atmospheric moisture levels.
Even if this broad area of low pressure never achieves official tropical storm status in the northwestern Gulf, FOX Weather meteorologists stress that the severe flooding threat remains identical.
Saturated soils from previous weeks of rain mean that immediate runoff is a certainty.
Flood Watches already blanket virtually all of South Texas, the middle and upper Texas coasts, the entire state of Louisiana, and western Mississippi.
The Houston Metro alone faces a staggering three consecutive days under a Level 3 out of 4 flood risk beginning Monday.
7:53 AM ET 4 HRS Ago
Texas thunderstorms trigger flight delays at Houston’s largest aviation hub
The FAA has officially initiated a ground delay program for George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) as thunderstorms heavily restrict terminal airspace.
Ground control is actively metering incoming traffic to manage capacity safely alongside intensifying downpours, causing average incoming flight delays to quickly approach 30 minutes.
Travelers scheduled to pass through the Houston hub this morning are likely to face growing delays as storms slow operations the Space City.
Airlines, particularly United Airlines which operates its primary southern hub out of IAH, are already warning of potential cascading domestic connection issues later in the day.
Passengers heading to the airport are urged to monitor their carrier’s mobile apps for real-time gate and departure changes before leaving home.
7:47 AM ET 4 HRS Ago
High-water rescues underway in Austin and San Antonio as flash flooding traps drivers
The FOX Forecast Center has received reports of multiple high-water rescues in Central Texas this morning.
Torrential downpours in both the Austin and San Antonio areas have already forced emergency crews to pull motorists from submerged vehicles at flooded low-water crossings.
7:42 AM ET 4 HRS Ago
Life-threatening flash flooding stalls morning commutes along the I-35 corridor
A dangerous severe weather setup has triggered Flash Flood Warnings across South-Central Texas this morning, putting the major metropolitan areas of San Antonio and Austin under a life-threatening flood threat.
A slow-moving line of thunderstorms feeding on deep tropical moisture is creeping across the Interstate 35 corridor, dumping torrential rain at staggering rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour.
Radar shows intense training—where multiple storms repeatedly move over the exact same communities—causing low-lying areas, streets, and urban underpasses to fill with water within minutes.
Emergency management officials are strongly advising residents to avoid any non-essential travel through the morning as the highest risk sits right over the peak commuting windows.
Because the ground throughout the Hill Country and coastal plains is already heavily saturated from recent rains, the ongoing deluge is creating instant runoff into regional creeks and streams.
The National Weather Service emphasizes that conditions can deteriorate rapidly, prompting a regional reminder to never attempt driving across low-water crossings or barricaded roadways.
