Flash Flood — Willacy, Texas

2015-10-24 to 2015-10-25 · near Sebastian, Willacy, Texas

Event narrative

The heavy rainfall on October 24th led to much of eastern Willacy County being under several feet of water. Water rescues were underway prior to the heaviest rains and continued through the afternoon. Though homes are few and far between (mainly farm houses or workers homes), the majority likely had water inside them by late in the day. Hazardous, high water was found across nearly all of the County east of the expressway (and the larger communities).

Wider weather episode

Moisture from Hurricane Patricia, additional lift from the slowly east'moving bands, and the approach of a front/wind shift from the ranchlands combined to produce a two hour period of blinding rains across most of Willacy, with the highest totals once again in the San Perlita'Willamar'Santa Monica area. Radar estimates of 3 to 6 additional inches in about two hours fell over areas inundated just days before. This new rainfall resulted in flash flooding across much of eastern Willacy County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (26.3415, -97.7625)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 605980. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.