Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration covering nearly 60 Texas counties as severe storms dumped up to 16 inches of rain across south Texas on Tuesday, prompting dozens of high-water rescues and highway closures.
Emergency crews conducted at least two dozen rescues in the Uvalde area alone, where portions of a highway 80 miles west of San Antonio were shut down. The National Weather Service warned storms overnight into July 16 could bring more than a foot of additional rain, with parts of the region upgraded to a rare high risk of excessive rainfall. A flash flood warning remained in place for the San Antonio area through Tuesday afternoon.
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported. Kerr County was included in the disaster declaration; catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River last year killed more than 100 people in the area. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue through the end of the week across southwest, central and southeast Texas.