Texas, 2017

Flooding in Texas, October 10, 2017

October 10, 2017 · NWS BRO · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Repeating thunderstorms occurred along and south of Interstate Highway 2 between Weslaco and La Joya, Texas, during the afternoon of October 10th, forced by the season's first cold front that lifted tropical moisture into several inches of rainfall during the early to mid afternoon of October 10th. Minor flooding, with up to 2 feet of water depth in poor drainage areas, briefly closed streets to…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$35,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.

Repeating thunderstorms occurred along and south of Interstate Highway 2 between Weslaco and La Joya, Texas, during the afternoon of October 10th, forced by the season's first cold front that lifted tropical moisture into several inches of rainfall during the early to mid afternoon of October 10th. Minor flooding, with up to 2 feet of water depth in poor drainage areas, briefly closed streets to traffic in McAllen and Weslaco. The rainfall, which fell over the course of 3 to 5 hours, was nearly double the total October monthly average in a thin band just north of the Rio Grande in some of the more populous sections of the Rio Grande Valley. Between 3 and more than 5 inches fell based on local observations, but bias corrected radar suggested as much as 6 inches fell near or in the areas with the minor flooding.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 10, 1:50 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 10, 1:50 PM CST, 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 10, 3:46 AM CST, 10 hours 14 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 10, 12:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Hidalgo

When
October 10, 2:00 PM CST to 3:30 PM CST
Where
Hidalgo County, 2.72 mi ENE of Shayland to 2 mi S of Palmhurst
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
26.239, -98.242

Several thunderstorms crossed southern Hidalgo County during the afternoon of October 10, 2017. The most persistent band affected the McAllen/Metro area between 130 and 3 PM CST, dropping several inches of rain and resulting in numerous road closures due to high water from the west side of town (Nolana and 23rd to 29th Street) to the south side of town (10th and Wichita, just east of Miller Airport). For the day, 5.07 inches of rain fell at Miller Airport, more than double the monthly average. Additional heavy rainfall of 3.5 inches fell in La Joya and 3.79 inches in nearby Mission to the west. Local minor flooding may have also occurred in these areas, but reports were unavailable as of this writing.

Flood, Hidalgo

When
October 10, 2:00 PM CST to 3:30 PM CST
Where
Hidalgo County, 2.17 mi SW of Weslaco to 1.26 mi NW of Progreso
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
26.148, -98.005

Bands of heavy rainfall associated with repeating thunderstorms eventually were too much for local drainage systems to handle in the south part of Weslaco to the north part of Progresso. Bias corrected radar estimates of more than 5 inches of rain likely contributed to street flooding in the Quail Hollow neighborhood in south Weslaco, where 2 feet of standing water backed up and allowed minimal passage of vehicles through the neighborhood. Water failed to flow through a nearby drain, worsening the situation.

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2017

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 725367, 725368.