Flash Flood in Willacy County, Texas

Measured and estimated rainfall between 8 and 12 or more inches that fell predominantly from early evening June 24th through a bit after midnight on June 25th produced widespread flash flooding across western Willacy County. Hardest hit locations were Sebastian, Lyford, Raymondville, and La Sara.

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; the entire western two thirds of Raymondville was under 1 to 3 feet of water; up to 4 feet was noted in LaSara during the peak of the heavy rain just before midnight on June 24th, and poor drainage flow in canals and ditches backed up water into Sebastian well after the rain had ended.

Individual Assistance costs for the affected area in the three counties was 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 9.7 inches in Raymondville which shattered the prior daily record by nearly 8 inches on the date (prior was 1.83 inches in 1923) and set a new daily record for the month of June (prior was 6.23 in 1993), with records going back to 1910.

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

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.