A stalled upper-level low pulled deep tropical moisture over South-Central Texas beginning July 13, 2026, dropping 6 to 16 inches of rain in a single 24-hour period on ground already saturated by earlier summer storms. The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center issued a rare Level 4-of-4 High Risk of excessive rainfall — its highest category — for a broad swath stretching from the Hill Country through Bexar County to the middle Texas coast. Follow the full Central Texas Flash Floods response page for updates and current ways to help.
59-County Disaster Declaration
Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for 59 counties in Texas, citing flash flooding and rainfall that "poses a threat of imminent disaster, including widespread and severe property damage, injury or loss of life." Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to elevate the State Emergency Operations Center to Level II — Escalated Response — and pre-positioned Texas A&M Task Force 1 swiftwater rescue teams, Texas Military Department high-water vehicles, DPS troopers and TPWD game wardens across the affected region. Uvalde County recorded 16 inches of rain in 24 hours, prompting dozens of high-water rescues and closing highways from Uvalde through Bexar, Travis, Real, Medina and Kinney counties.
A Grim Anniversary
The disaster arrived just over a year after the July 2025 Guadalupe River floods in Kerr County that killed more than 130 people at riverfront summer camps. Emergency officials urged residents to evacuate low-lying areas overnight, avoid low-water crossings and move to higher ground before additional rounds of storms trained over the same watersheds.
Relief Organizations on the Ground
The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army have opened emergency shelters across the San Antonio metro and along the I-10 corridor, providing meals, cots and hygiene supplies to displaced families. Team Rubicon has activated veteran-led response teams for damage assessment and mucking-out operations once floodwaters recede, and Global Empowerment Mission deployed a Texas response unit to distribute emergency supplies alongside local partners. Feeding America's San Antonio Food Bank and regional network are pre-positioning emergency food and water for distribution, and Convoy of Hope is trucking hygiene kits and cleaning supplies into isolated Hill Country communities.
How to Help
Additional rounds of heavy rain remain in the forecast through the end of the week, and rivers across the region will stay in flood stage for days. To support the response, visit the Central Texas Flash Floods disaster page for a full list of responding organizations and donation links, or browse the Relief Directory or organization directory for other ways to help communities recover from disasters worldwide.
