(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott said the volume of rain pummeling Texas and flash flooding in the last 24 hours is greater than the rainfall and flooding that occurred July 4, 2025, in the Hill Country. The difference is no one has died, he said at a news conference in Austin while giving an update on the state’s emergency response.
“We are dealing with and responding to a flood that is likely going to break records in Texas history,” Abbott said. “Our primary focus right now and throughout the remainder of this torrential rain is saving lives.”
Abbott issued a disaster declaration Tuesday for 59 counties across the state to fast-track resources “to help save lives.” So far, there are more than 1,300 state personnel from more than 30 agencies that are already activated and responding to the storm, he said. More than 800 vehicles, more than 75 boats, and more than 20 aircraft have been deployed. More than 75 people have been rescued. So far, there’s been no reported loss of life, he said.
“The problem we have is there’s a big danger for anybody driving through rising water. There will be a lot of rising water over the next 24 to 48 hours or there could be dangers by people being close to rapidly rising rivers, which will also be occurring in many places in the affected regions over the next 24 to 48 hours,” he said.
State assets are in place to make rescues and will continue to do so, he said, but it was imperative that Texans “are not in a situation where they need to be rescued.” He encouraged Texans to stay off the roads during torrential downpours.
He also said the weather Texas was facing was categorized as life threatening catastrophic floods,” far worse than the 100-year flood that swept through the Hill Country last July 4 killing more than 130 people.
“I want to give you a comparison,” he said. “The 4th of July floods last year had rainfall of 20.29 inches. The expected rainfall during this rainstorm is expected to be more than 30 inches – more rain than what occurred during the flood last year.”
Record rainfall and flooding is being reported in border communities, including in Uvalde where an entire area downtown is submerged, The Center Square reported.
The Nueces River Basin and its various tributaries are most at risk, Abbott said. However, there are dangers in other areas as well, he said.
Kendall County has issued a flash flood emergency. A flood watch is in place for nearly all of South and Central Texas. There is a high risk of excessive rainfall from Sonora to Del Rio, including Eagle Pass to Uvalde, he said.
“These areas have already gotten between 10 and 15 inches of rain and are already under water. There’s another 10 to 15 inches of rain expected through tomorrow morning,” he said. In these regions, Texans should expect a lot of rain and a lot of rising water, he added.
There also remains a low threat of tornadoes in various areas throughout the state, he added. However, the primary concern of first responders is rising rivers.
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said the danger comes not just from the amount of rain that will fall but the rate of rainfall. “Meteorologists are reporting in some cases up to three inches of rainfall per hour,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you live in Texas, three inches of rain an hour will cause flooding. The majority of the rescues that have taken place are stranded motorists.”
He also told Texans, “Do not drive on the road where you cannot see the road. If there is water on the road, turn around.”
He also described a situation his family members found themselves in Wednesday while driving to work. Once they were in a construction area, “water completely surrounded them. They were not driving through low water when they started,” he said.
He also told Texans to listen to their local officials, including following mandatory evacuation orders. Shelters are also open if needed, he added.
Abbott said even though the rain may stop on Friday, the rivers will keep rising and Texans need to remain vigilant.
Texans are encouraged to stay up to date on severe weather safety information at TexasReady.gov, DriveTexas.org and tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
