Extreme rainfall, severe floods claim 3 lives in Hidalgo County, South Texas
At least three people have been reported dead after severe thunderstorms swept through South Texas from Wednesday, March 26, through Friday, March 28, 2025, dropping extreme rainfall that led to severe flooding across the region. Multiple places, including the city of McAllen, reported over 30 cm (1 foot) of standing floodwaters after record rainfall hit the area.
Severe flooding in Harlingen on March 28, 2025. Image credit: Cameron County Constable PCT 5
Severe flooding in Hidalgo County resulted in at least three fatalities, while one person died in Reynosa, Mexico, after severe thunderstorms impacted South Texas from Thursday into Friday, March 27–28.
Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron counties—located on the southern tip of Texas along the Mexican border—were the worst affected.
The storms trapped residents in their homes, forced drivers to abandon vehicles on flooded roads and led to the closure of an airport.
Heavy rainfall along the Texas-Mexico border subsided on Friday, with rescue operations continuing into Saturday.
Four flash flood emergencies were declared from Thursday night into early Friday morning in Hidalgo and Cameron counties, as the National Weather Service issued warnings of life-threatening flooding.
The city of McAllen, the largest city in Hidalgo County with a population of about 146 000, recorded 30 cm (1 foot) of standing water on roads, submerging vehicles and homes during the storm.
Hidalgo County officials reported no immediate details on the three fatalities, only confirming law enforcement involvement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed one death involving U.S. Border Patrol agents. In Reynosa, Mexico, in the state of Tamaulipas, an 83-year-old man drowned on Friday.
More than 690 people were rescued in Mexico following flooding caused by heavy rains, according to the country’s Civil Protection Coordination.
On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that a vehicle suspected of involvement in migrant smuggling attempted to cross a flooded roadway in Hidalgo County and plunged into a canal.
One body was recovered, and another person remained missing, the agency said. It remains unclear whether this fatality was included in the official county death toll.
Law enforcement in Willacy County continued efforts to rescue residents trapped in homes on Friday after 305–381 mm (12–15 inches) of rain fell over a six-hour period, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Frank Torres.
The City of Alamo in Hidalgo County declared a local state of disaster, Mayor J.R. Garza announced during a news conference on Friday.
Alamo fire and police departments conducted around 100 flood rescues, according to Police Chief Saul Solis, who estimated that several hundred homes were affected. At least one thunderstorm produced a brief tornado in Hidalgo County on Thursday afternoon.
In Harlingen, a city in Cameron County, nearly a year’s worth of rain fell within 48 hours, resulting in extensive flooding. Multiple water rescues were conducted as the National Weather Service urged residents to seek higher ground.
Between 457 –533 mm (18–21 inches) of rain fell on parts of the city from Wednesday through early Friday, with most of it falling on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Harlingen typically receives about 610 mm (24 inches) of rain annually.
A Weather Prediction Center (WPC) station near Harlingen recorded 461.3 mm (18.16 inches) of rain, while another station approximately 9.7 km (6 miles) west-southwest of Harlingen reported 374.9 mm (14.76 inches) of rain between Wednesday and Friday.
The heaviest rainfall total recorded by a WPC station was approximately 2.3 km (1.4 miles) south of Lozano, reporting 475 mm (18.7 inches) of rain between Wednesday and Friday.
Port Isabel, Texas, received 330 mm (13 inches) of rain over the period, equivalent to half its annual average. The rainfall event in Port Isabel is classified as a 1-in-100-year event, while Harlingen’s rainfall approached a 1-in-500-year event.
Other areas of the Rio Grande Valley also received over 305 mm (1 foot) of rainfall between Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning.
References:
1 At least 4 deaths reported after over a half year’s worth of rain forces water rescues in parts of South Texas – CNN – March 29, 2025
2 At least 4 dead after severe storms in the South Texas-Mexico border region and hundreds rescued – AP – March 29, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.