Gov. Greg Abbott said on September 28 that a storm system moving across Texas would bring heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding to a large part of the state over the following three to four days, with North-Central Texas the area of greatest concern.
Community Impact reported that the threatened area stretches from El Paso to the Panhandle and covers the entire I-35 corridor from the Red River to south of San Antonio. North Texas was forecast to get 2 to 5 inches of rain, with totals of 6 to 8 inches possible, and rainfall rates near Austin and San Antonio could reach 2 inches per hour at times. Abbott said the system would reach West Texas late on September 28 and that the heaviest rain would fall across most of the state on September 30. About 1,900 state personnel and more than 1,500 vehicles were positioned for rescue and response work, according to the report.
The Governor’s Office listed the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Public Utility Commission of Texas among the agencies staging saw crews, boat squads, search and rescue teams, medical task forces and helicopters.
The Houston region is not among the areas named in the state’s warning. As of Tuesday morning the National Weather Service had no active watches, warnings or advisories for Harris, Montgomery or Liberty counties, the three counties that cover the Lake Houston area. The local connection runs the other way: the Atascocita Fire Department sent a crew north on September 28 to help with the response.
