Flash Flood — Hidalgo, Texas

2015-05-11 to 2015-05-12 · near Linn, Hidalgo, Texas

Event narrative

Hidalgo County EM reported flash flooding along and near FM 1017 and extending southeast to north and east of Edinburg, including Faysville, Monte Alto, and Linn-San Manuel. Water Along and near Farm to Market Road 1017 and extending southeast to areas north and east of Edinburg, including Faysville and Monte Alto. Roadways were covered in high water, which resulted in water entering the fire station in San Manuel and numerous water rescues. Hidalgo County EM reported that water entered the fire station in San Manuel.

Wider weather episode

Deep tropical moisture pooled ahead of a dissipating late season front across the ranchlands, and combined with an impulse of jet stream energy during the afternoon and evening hours of May 11th. This resulted in a broken area of diurnally driven late afternoon showers and thunderstorms, which was followed by more widespread and slow moving thunderstorms after sunset which ultimately developed into a convective system that produced flash flooding concentrated from southeast Starr and southwest Hidalgo counties and extended northeast through rural northern Hidalgo and eastern Brooks counties, including Linn/San Manuel, McCook, Encino, and Falfurrias. There were at least a dozen water rescues in and near Rio Grande City, including the Las Lomas neighborhood and Garciasville, where some homes had up to 3 feet of water inside them after a likely combination of freshwater (drainage) and arroyo flooding from an estimated/measure five to seven inches of rain in two to three hours. Portions of U.S. 83 were closed in southeast Starr County, mainly from Rio Grande City to near the Hidalgo County line, due to standing water of 2 to 4 feet. Along and near Farm to Market Road 1017 and extending southeast to areas north and east of Edinburg, including Faysville and Monte Alto, poor drainage flooding resulted in water rescues that continued well into May 12th. The flooding was not isolated to rural areas of the Mid and Upper Valley. Torrential rains slid into the McAllen/Weslaco/Donna area, where nuisance flooding with water levels up to two feet was noted well after midnight when 2 to 3 inches of rain piled up. Significant flooding was noted in Hebbronville when storms clustered just before sunset, with up to a foot of water in most areas, including some into at least one building, along with water rescues. Conditions worsened farther east in and near Falfurrias, where an estimated and measured 5 to 7 inches resulted in minor to moderate urban flooding, with several water rescues in one to two feet of water throughout town just after sunset. High standing water, 1 to 1 feet, continued through the night.

Embedded within the flood-producing thunderstorm clusters were hail and damaging wind producing storms. Quarter size hail was reported with the evening storms on May 11th. In addition, a small convective vortex injected into the system near Edinburg, producing estimated wind up to 70 mph from Elsa/Edcouch to La Villa, which caused damage to older structures, trees (mainly ash), and power lines and poles.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (26.6094, -98.2363)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 583060. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.