Flash Flood — Hidalgo, Texas

2019-06-24 to 2019-06-25 · near Weslaco, Hidalgo, Texas

Event narrative

Measured and estimated rainfall between 6 and 15 inches that fell predominantly from early evening June 24th through a bit after midnight on June 25th produced widespread flash flooding across southeastern Hidalgo County. Hardest hit locations were near the Cameron and Willacy County line, including locations just west of Santa Rosa through Monte Alto, and between Sebastian and Elsa.

In the tri-county area (western Willacy, northwestern Cameron, and southeastern Hidalgo), 1188 homes were considered destroyed or with major damage, with an additional 182 homes with minor damage. Hundreds of streets flooded, including 30 Texas-managed highways. This included the frontage roads of Interstate 2 and Interstate 69E. More than 100 persons were evacuated to higher ground when dozens of homes were threatened by 2 to 4 feet of water in each county; Monte Alto was hardest hit in Hidalgo County. Individual Assistance costs were estimated at $27.6 million as of early August 2019; Public Assistance values were unknown but likely to add to the damage, which will be estimated at $75 million in all three counties. Daily rainfall records were set in the flood area, including 6.95 inches in Weslaco, more than 3 inches above the prior record for the date set in 1951.

Despite the flooding and damage, much which occurred in the dark, there were no know deaths of injuries directly attributed to the flood.

Wider weather episode

Just 367 days after the last of the Great June Flood of 2018 had left its memorable mark on nearly all of the populated Rio Grande Valley, a confluence of atmospheric events came together during the late afternoon and evening of June 24th, 2019, to produce another memorable - and unfortunate - situation for parts of the Rio Grande Valley. This time, the impacted area was smaller and less populated but the results the same. For most of Willacy County's population, the western third of Cameron, and a corner of eastern Hidalgo, significant impacts were noted. These included:

Over a foot of rain fell in about six hours, including a peak total of more than 15 inches near Santa Rosa (Cameron/Hidalgo line); hundreds of streets flooded, including 30 Texas-managed highways; 1,188 homes were considered destroyed or incurring major damage requiring significant repairs, with an additional 182 homes sustaining minor damage or mildly affected (as of July 10). Individual Assistance (IA) costs were estimated at $27.6 million. Public Assistance (PA) costs were likely over $5 million, but totals were not available as of this writing. Total damage was likely to range from $50 to $100 million or more when all estimates have been received, and final estimated may not be known until late 2019.

More than 100 persons were evacuated to safe high ground from dozens of homes threatened by 2 or more feet of water in several locations in each county. At least 45,000 private and public utility power customers were without power at the peak of the storm, and estimated 65 to 75 mph winds caused at least five poorly built mobile homes to be rolled or demolished in eastern Hidalgo County. Lightning struck a wind turbine and set it ablaze in Willacy County, costing an estimated $5 million in damage.

New daily rainfall records were set at most available Rio Grande Valley climate recording locations. These totals ranged from 2.06 inches in Brownsville to 15.20 inches in Santa Rosa.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (26.1720, -97.9952)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 854819. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.