Flooding forces evacuations in parts of South Texas as slow-moving
storms swamp the region
[July 16, 2026]
By JESSE BEDAYN and JAMIE STENGLE
UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Widening evacuation warnings and high-water rescues
in Texas mounted Wednesday under relentlessly heavy storms that turned
roads into rivers, washed away vehicles and spun up a tornado across a
busy interstate in San Antonio.
Texas Game Wardens have participated in rescues of more than 40 people
so far in the flooding, mostly in the Uvalde County area, according to a
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson.
Forecasters warned that already dangerous conditions were likely to
worsen in some hard-hit communities. The deluge dumped nearly a foot of
rain in some counties and put people in dozens of counties under flood
watches, including parts of the Texas Hill Country where last summer’s
devastating floods killed more than 100 people. Some of the flood
watches were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening.
The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in the
northwestern part of San Antonio near Interstate 10. Videos posted on
social media showed what appeared to be a small twister. Apartment
buildings and other properties were damaged, local officials said.
There have been no reports of deaths or injuries from the tornado or the
flooding.
As much as 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain was possible
in some places before the storms move out, the weather service said.
As of Wednesday evening, just over six million Texas residents in 57
counties were under a National Weather Service flood watch that was
scheduled to continue through early Thursday night. Watches for 34 of
those counties were scheduled to expire Friday evening.
More than a foot of rain has fallen with more to come
The highest rainfall totals so far — up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) —
have been in Uvalde County, where officials tallied 25 rescues as of 9
a.m. Wednesday, and said more people needed help as river levels rose.
Highways and roads were closed across the region because of high water.
The county normally gets about 23 inches (58 centimeters) of rain a
year, according to the Uvalde County Extension Office.
The Uvalde Police Department said on Facebook at 1 p.m. that a dam in
the northern part of the county was still intact, but the Leona River
was still expected to rise another 15 feet (about 4.6 meters). Police
warned people along the river to get to higher ground.
State Rep. Don McLaughlin said that despite a “little lull,” the
rainfall wasn’t done and waterways could become more dangerous. “The
rivers and the creeks are going to be coming up, and they’re going to be
coming up again with a vengeance,” McLaughlin said.
Frances McNamara and her 10-year-old son, Everett, watched the bloated
Leona River in Uvalde sweep southward Wednesday as she considered
possible evacuation routes. She pointed to a solid line of dirt,
branches and twigs about 8 feet (2 meters) above the river where the
water reached the day before.
“We’ve seen the water rise, but not to this extent,” she said,
describing how it rushed through a ditch next to her home with enough
force to sound like a river on Tuesday.
This week's severe weather brought back memories of last year's deadly
flooding in Texas Hill Country.
“It scared me,” said McNamara, her eyes wet with tears as she recalled
the 2025 floods. “Cause I have a son, and to know what those parents
went through.” Her son reached up and patted her back.
Some mandatory evacuations ordered in Uvalde
Uvalde police ordered mandatory evacuations for some parts, with first
responders notifying people affected directly, the department said on
Facebook. Others were asked to stay vigilant in case more evacuations
are needed.
Some folks walked out of their homes onto the street to see the water
growing closer every hour, their faces worried. People living along the
river scrambled to pack cars and head out, though many did not yet know
where they should go. One man threw two kayaks into his truck bed, just
in case.
Bailey Luckman, 26, was getting ready to evacuate with her dog Wednesday
afternoon. The floodwaters are close to her house, she said, and
authorities recommended that she leave.
[to top of second column]
|
Members of the Boerne Fire Dept. rescue a woman from flood waters on
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
“I’m very worried about my things,” Luckman said.
She gestured to an inundated road nearby, saying she normally drives
that route to get to the gym. It looked more like a river than a
road.
“I’ve never seen it flow the way that it is right now, so that’s
pretty terrifying,” Luckman said.
Lightning flashed as clouds darkened the landscape, and brown water
created large rapids in the typically calm Leona River. The river
was pushing up against the town's high bridge and into neighborhoods
by Wednesday afternoon.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued disaster declarations for dozens
of counties.
Authorities posted videos on Tuesday showing a rescue crew in a boat
navigating flooded streets and a vehicle being swept away by
fast-moving waters. Five people were rescued by the Texas Game
Warden Search and Rescue Team and four were rescued by a local game
warden, said Maggie Berger, a Texas Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman.
Other areas of Texas could see dangerous flooding
Forecasters warned that hilly terrain in other parts of the region
could be especially vulnerable to heavy rain.
The highest level of concern for potentially dangerous flooding
Wednesday was for areas west of San Antonio and north of Route 90,
Weather service meteorologist Monte Oaks said.
In Boerne, a city of about 24,000 northwest of San Antonio,
residents of several areas were told by officials to either evacuate
voluntarily or prepare to shelter in place as waters rose. City
spokesperson Chris Shadrock said in a video post on Facebook that
high-water rescues were ongoing and that the city’s busiest
intersection was “completely underwater.”
“This is a life-threatening weather event, I don’t want to mince
words about how serious this situation is,” Shadrock said.
He said the water was rising even in areas that don’t usually flood.
First responders helped a woman escape after a car was swept off
Boerne's River Road by the fast-rising Cibolo Creek.
People in about 20 vehicles were stranded in a nearby gas station
parking lot when every surrounding street quickly flooded. Police
officers blocked the exits to keep people from trying to ford the
roads.
Kendall County is home to nearly 53,300 people, according to U.S.
Census Bureau estimates. About 45% of them live in the southern
portion of the county in Boerne, where the Cibolo Creek reached
22.47 feet (about 6.8 meters) as of 1 p.m. according to a USGS
gauge, about 19 feet (about 5.8 meters) higher than just two days
before.
Oaks said the rain is being fueled with tropical moisture, mostly
from the Gulf of Mexico and some from the Pacific Ocean.
“This is called a typical midsummer tropical weather pattern that
happens in Texas,” Oaks said. “About once every five years, we’ll
get socked in with a daily recurrence of heavy rain chances that’s
generally produced by a stagnant kind of a pattern with a
low-pressure center that’s just not moving very fast.”
___
Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press journalists Dave
Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Christopher L. Keller in
Albuquerque, New Mexico; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; and AP
freelance photographer Darren Abate contributed.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
