Southeast Texas is grappling with life-threatening flash flooding on Wednesday as heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Edouard inundates the region. A flash flood emergency has been issued for Hardin and Tyler counties, where rainfall has reached as high as 21 inches and, in some instances, fallen at rates of 5 inches per hour.
In Liberty and Polk counties, 4 to 16 inches of rain have been recorded, prompting Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy to issue a Local Declaration of Disaster. The National Weather Service has placed a Level 4 of 4 alert for flash flooding across the affected areas, indicating the highest level of threat, with dangerous conditions expected to persist into the afternoon. Rainfall rates could still reach 4 inches per hour.
Flood watches have been extended to include the cities of Houston and College Station. Forecasters predict that isolated areas could receive an additional 8 to 12 inches of rain over the next 24 hours, with flooding potentially continuing into Thursday.
