At least three people died in a South Texas county after around 20 inches of rain fell on the Rio Grande Valley, causing what the state agriculture commissioner called catastrophic flooding.
The deaths occurred in Hidalgo County, near the U.S.-Mexico border, where County Judge Richard F. Cortez issued a disaster declaration.
More details about the deaths were not immediately released, “except that they involved law enforcement efforts,” the county said in a statement.
“This is a devastating tragedy for our Valley community,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said Friday.
The rain was also blamed for one death in Mexico. The Mexican state of Tamaulipas reported that an 83-year-old man drowned in Reynosa, which is across the border from McAllen, The Associated Press reported. McAllen is in Hidalgo County.
A slow-moving upper-level trough over Mexico brought thunderstorms and rain to parts of South Texas near the border this week, including to Hidalgo County, the National Weather Service said in forecast discussions.
That trough was exiting to the east and no more significant rainfall was expected Friday night, but flooding was forecast to continue, the weather service said.
Miller said Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties were the hardest hit. He said the sheer volume of rain caused “severe harm.”
“In addition to extensive damage to homes, vehicles, and infrastructure, the region is also facing significant agricultural and livestock losses,” he said.
More than a foot of rain was recorded in parts of Hidalgo County over 48 hours by Friday afternoon, the weather service said in a statement.
The city of Harlingen in Cameron County was flooded after more than 21 ½ inches of rain fell, Mayor Norma Sepulveda said. A convention center was opened for displaced residents, and those safe at home were urged to stay there.
“This, of course, has been a historic and challenging event for the city, but Harlingen is strong,” Sepulveda said at a news conference. “We have faced adversity before and we will get through this together.”
Cortez said progress was being made on the widespread damage in Hidalgo County.
“Emergency Management efforts, in tandem with local precincts, are making strides one day following a storm that moved slowly across the region and resulted in much more rain than expected,” he said.
Jionni Ochoa’s home in Palm Valley, a town of around 1,400 near Harlingen, was among those that flooded.
“The bed is the only thing dry right now, because the sofas are soaked. Everything is soaked,” Ochoa, 46, told The Associated Press.
