Texas Flooding: Gov. Abbott Urges Residents to Prepare for Heavy Rain

Governor Greg Abbott Issues State Weather Warning

State leaders urged residents to prepare immediately for a major flooding event that Governor Greg Abbott noted could mirror the deadly floods of July. Speaking at a September 28 press conference, Abbott stressed that citizens still have a critical window to ready their homes and families before severe weather impacts their communities.

“We want to make sure that our fellow Texans know about the volume of rain that’s about to hit their region,” said Governor Greg Abbott, according to state briefing records.

Timeline and Regional Threat Progression

The weather system begins Monday night with a slight risk of flooding and possible flash flooding in far west Texas and El Paso. By Tuesday, heavy precipitation shifts toward west Texas and the Panhandle, targeting Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland with five to seven inches of rain, winds up to 60 miles per hour, and potential tropical tornadoes boasting 80-mile-per-hour gusts.

On Wednesday, impacts expand across the majority of the state as a cold front pushes into the I-35 corridor through north and central Texas. Abbott warned that if the weather front stalls, it could drop an extraordinary, incalculable amount of rain. The flash flooding threat peaks Thursday, with rainfall totals projected to reach 10 inches in areas stretching from north of Dallas down to south of San Antonio.

State Emergency Response and Deployment

The State Emergency Operations Center will transition to 24/7 operations starting Tuesday at 7 a.m. To combat potential disasters, the state has deployed approximately 1,900 responders equipped with high-water vehicles, search and rescue boats, and rescue helicopters.

“Just six inches of fast-moving water can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles. We encourage you to turn around, don’t drown, and never drive around barricades, and use extreme caution on wet roadways,” said Brandye Hendrickson with TxDOT.

The Texas National Guard also activated more than 100 personnel, four helicopters, and over 30 military vehicles for high-water rescue missions.

“These capabilities can do, as I’ve said, aerial search and rescue, evacuations on the ground and air across inundated areas, and also critical supply delivery to include food, water, and medicine,” said Major General Thomas Suelzer with the Texas Military Department.