Flash Flood in Hidalgo County, Texas

Torrential rain accompanied the hail; 4 to more than 6 inches fell in less than two hours, creating ice and water rivers with the height of the water as high as 4 to 6 feet in poor drainage locations. More than 100 vehicles were submerged and numerous others were abandoned during the peak of the storm. At one point,most of the city roads were under water and the city's interconnected system of pipes, sewers, and drainage pools reached more than 90 percent of capacity.

Intense thunderstorms raked the highly populated McAllen/Edinburg/Mission area of Hidalgo County during the mid-evening of March 29th. The storms dumped hail up to the size of baseballs for more than half an hour, drove that hail with 70 to 75 mph winds, added 4 to 6 inches of torrential rains, and produced frequent cloud to ground lightning. Initial storms developed across the King Ranch during the mid afternoon of March 29th, and spread west into northern Hidalgo and Starr County by early evening. The storms, fed by warm, humid air near the surface, colder air aloft, and boundaries (providing lift) from earlier storms which moved across the Coastal Bend, appeared to have intensified further as they approached the highly populated Edinburg/McAllen/Mission area. One possibility why the storms intensified is the interaction with an upper level disturbance moving across northeast Mexico. This disturbance spawned dangerous storms in Nuevo Lon and Tamaulipas, and boundaries from these cells may have been the ultimate trigger to a night hundreds of thousands will not forget.

Damage totals have reached an estimated $200 million in property and crop damage. Updated tallies will be provided as information is received.