Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, March 27 to 30, 2025

The C-MAN station at Brazos Santiago, just inshore of the Isla Blanca jetty but adjacent to the park on the barrier island, recorded a 51 knot gust at 2 AM CST on March 27th. No damage was reported as of this writing.

The Cameron County Office of Emergency Management reported a trailer home struck by lightning with the entire building consumed by the flames after the pre-dawn strike. Two residents inside were killed by the ensuing fire.

Emergency manager reported a closed road due to urban flooding in Palm Valley near the intersection of Queens Sago Dr and Stuart Place Rd. Time of event estimated by radar and duration of estimated rainfall of 3 to 4 inches in two hours.

Emergency manager reported water being pumped out of a house due to flash flooding. The same emergency manager reported a stranded vehicle in east Brownsville due to flash flooding. Water levels of 2 feet or higher spread along parts of FM 511 near the Port of Brownsville, which is a typically poor-drainage location, impacting several low-wheel-base vehicles.

Texas Department of Transportation reported water of unknown depth was reported in an elementary school. Photos suggested the water depth was 2 feet outside the building, and up to 1 foot inside. Damage estimates were unknown at the time of this writing.

Two to three feet of water and flooding was reported on FM 755 in northeast Starr County near Santa Elena.

Several trees were reported down and power outages in the town of Penitas.

Significant to locally devastating flash flooding began in the McAllen/Mission metropolitan area during mid-afternoon. Rainfall rates of at least 3 in 30 minutes were too much for the city's drainage infrastructure to handle, and soon after, city fire/rescue/police reported more than two dozen roads closed citywide and up to forty homes with an unknown amount of water depth inside, to the Emergency Management Coordinator.

It was likely that several hundred homes had incident flooding, from affected to major damage - most concentrated in the south side of the city. The frontage roads on IH2 (Mission/McAllen) and IH-69C (Pharr/Edinburg) flooded with varying amounts of water, and hundreds of vehicles were stranded. The highest water was at least four feet in spots along the frontage south of the McAllen Convention Center. Rainfall rates were historic for the season, ranging from 1/100 to 1/200 probability events (annual return frequency) over a 2-hour period. McAllen/Miller Airport, located just south of IH-2 and just west of 10th Street, recorded 6.25 in two hours.

Additional reports of 2 to 3 feet of water were received from the City of Pharr, with two to three feet of water depth at the intersection of N. Cage Blvd. and E. Ferguson Ave., along/near the IH-69C frontage. Additional, faster moving/impacting rain bands occurred during the late evening, with the final potent band (with wind) racing through just after 11 PM CST (midnight CDT March 28th). Residual urban flooding and high water would continue into March 28th and beyond in some areas.

As of early July, a county-wide estimate of Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) damage was $52 million in Hidalgo County. The data were applied to this entry, since the combination of heavy rainfall and infrastructure was highest in this area at this time. More accurate damage reports for the City, and Hidalgo County overall, will be provided toward the end of 2025 or early 2026.

A small tornado briefly touched down about 1.5 |miles east of Edcouch, lifting the sheet metal roof of a warehouse|belonging to a crop dusting company. Pieces of the roof were |blown to the northeast along the 0.25 mile path, landing in open |fields on the north and south side of SH-107. The debris was |scattered in varying directions along the path. Partial metal wall|failure was also noted to the building, which was a total loss. A|metal building structure (MBS) hangar that sheltered one of the |crop-dusting aircraft was also damaged, with a small portion of |the roof lifted off and the garage door bent inward, toward the |center of the circulation. The aircraft inside was also impacted, |with an estimated $500 thousand in damage to it. Each structure |was old with generally poor connectors and rusted metal parts, |each built more than 80 years ago, according to the owner.

Other damage included parts of an unanchored fence blown down at |a drive-through convenience store, several large mesquite limbs |snapped off in open areas along the track, one rotting and unused |telephone pole snapped, and another one bent.

A resident of a manufactured home who witnessed the event noted a|swirling column of rain as the tornado passed by, indicating that|the tornado was likely rain-wrapped.

Torrential rains moved out from the McAllen/metro into the mid-Valley section of Hidalgo County, to include locations east of Edinburg, including Elsa/Edcouch, then south through San Juan, Alamo, and Donna, extending south to around Military Highway (US 281) east of Pharr and near the Rio Grande.

Poor drainage locations flooded with at least 3 feet of water depth, and nearly the entire IH-2 frontage road had 2 to 3 or more feet of water depth, with dozens of vehicles stranded and at least one hundred more removed from the floodwaters. A number of farm-to-market and state highways had pockets of flood waters, forcing closures that lasted into March 28th.

In this flood area, there were three known drownings when vehicles became submerged in deeper waters in canals/drainage areas during encounters with law enforcement. One drowning was a juvenile who was unable to be rescued from a vehicle that submerged near Edcouch.

Damage details and further information will be available later in 2025 from these areas.

Torrential rains that previously affected the McAllen/Edinburg metro area reached southeast Hidalgo County, from south of Weslaco to Edcouch and east to the Hidalgo/Cameron line, then south along the Mercedes/La Feria line and all the way to between Progreso and just west of Santa Maria. Similar to the situation in the Donna-Weslaco area, the IH-2 frontage road was littered with flooded vehicles, with rescued vehicles along the side of the elevated expressway. An estimated 3 or more feet of water was on the frontage roads.

The rain in this area came in multiple rounds. A first round occurred between 430 and 6 PM, with additional rounds between 7 and 8 PM and again fro 930 to around 11 PM,and a final windy round around midnight March 28th CST (1 AM CDT). Water rescues were first reported in Mercedes at around 7 PM CST (8 PM CDT). As of this writing, damage was unknown but hundreds of structures likely had varying degrees, ranging from affected to major damage.

High water would continue well into March 28th and beyond; the flood control system (floodway) had up to 20% capacity due to spillage and pumping of urban flood areas into it.

Full damage statistics will be available later in 2025.

Torrential rains progressed from Hidalgo into Cameron County during the evening of March 27th, with multiple repeating rounds creating rapid onset flash flooding. The multiple rounds of rainfall in western Cameron County added up to more than 10 inches for the period, with some areas likely receiving 9 or more inches in just three hours. Widespread flooding was reported between Santa Rosa, Combes, Palm Valley, and La Feria, with nighttime swift water rescues reported in La Feria and Santa Rosa. The final band of torrential rain (along with strong wind) whipped through just after midnight CST (1 AM CDT) March 28th.

The IH-2 frontage road was littered with stalled vehicles, and dozens more were removed and placed along the shoulders in each direction. High water continued well after the rains ended, into March 29th.

It is likely that dozens, if not over 100, structures were impacted to various degrees ranging from affected to major damage, with several likely considered destroyed. Full damage data will be available in later 2025.

Some of the heaviest rainfall associated with the historic rainfall of March 26-28 fell in Harlingen. In total, nearly 19 inches was measured by trusted sources, with radar estimates up to 20.5 inches. During the peak of the multiple bands from early evening through just after midnight on the 28th, estimated rainfall rates were at least 3 per hour for at least 3 hours, including at Harlingen/Valley International Airport, where 5 fell in just 90 minutes before the power went out due to lightning strikes.

Hundreds, if not a thousand, structures had flood damage ranging from affected to destroyed. Damage details will be available for this part of Cameron County, which stretches from Harlingen through Rio Hondo and southwest to San Benito, at a later date in 2025. Harder hit areas reported up to 4 feet of water, including the IH-2 and IH-69E frontage roads in these areas. For several areas, this event ranked as a 1/100 to 1/200 annual return frequency probability event, with perhaps up to a 1/500 event in a few spots. High water would continue in several hours for a few more days, though rapid runoff allowed for relatively quick recovery.

As of July 1, a preliminary estimate of $105 million was derived from Public Assistance (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) reports, based on applying two-thirds of the values from the number of structures that were impacted with varying levels of damage in Cameron County. The damage was applied to this entry, since much was triggered by the rainfall and rainfall rates in these areas at these times. Full damage statistics will be available by the end of 2025 or start of 2026.

Torrential rainfall with estimated totals ranging from 6 to 12 inches affected southern/southwestern Willacy County during the mid to late evening of March 27, with several water rescues reported in Sebastian along the Cameron County line. Additional flooding with water depths on roads likely at or near 3 feet occurred northward to Lyford and perhaps the outskirts of Raymondville, and also east to FM 1420 between Santa Monica and Willamar.

An unknown number of structures had some flooding. Countywide damage statistics will be available later in 2025.

The Texas Department of Transportation continued to report flooding along the frontage road near Sebastian well into March 28th, with additional flooding noted by emergency management/law enforcement along Farm-to-Market and County roads in the southern portion of the county. Flooding continued at homes in the Sebastian area where drainage backups remained.

There was an unknown amount of water remaining in the North Floodway of the International Boundary and Water Commission's Flood Control Project. Further details for Willacy County flooding well after the rains ended will be provided through updates.

The Texas Department of Transportation, along with local law enforcement and the public, noted a continuation of high water along the IH-2 frontage roads between Mission and Alamo from just before midnight (standard time) on March 27th through mid to late afternoon on the 28th, as water was slow but steady to drain out of the area despite fair weather for most of the period.

The Cameron County Office of Emergency Management reported a small shed blown down by strong thunderstorms winds in Santa Rosa.

The Texas Department of Transportation, along with local law enforcement, the public, and emergency management, reported high standing water of 2 to 3 feet in several poor drainage locations of southeastern Hidalgo County that persisted for two more days following historic seasonal rainfall/rainfall rates.

This included much of the IH-2 frontage road from east Alamo through the Cameron County line (Mercedes/La Feria), as well as several Farm-to-Market roads which remained impassible for all or part of this time. Overwhelmed drainage systems took time for the water to run out completely, and the Flood Control Project (Main and North Floodways in southeastern Hidalgo County between Weslaco and Mercedes, extending north to La Villa and east to the Willacy County line near Santa Rosa) continued with up to an estimated 20% of freeboard (capacity).

An unknown number of homes in southeast Hidalgo County had at least 1 foot in them, especially in the poorest draining locations where at least 10 inches of rain fell on the 27th into very early on the 28th.

Damage estimates will be included with the initial flash flood entries from March 27th.

The Texas Department of Transportation, along with Cameron County and local city emergency management between La Feria and Rio Hondo, and other law enforcement, and neighborhood groups reported a continuation of 2 to 3 feet of water depth (higher in a few locations) well into March 28th, with only a slow recession on the 29th and 30th before the water drained out for all but a few locations. Flood related impacts continued as follows:

*Much of the IH-2 frontage between La Feria and Harlingen, and the IH-69E frontage from the Willacy County line through San Benito, was under 2 to 3 feet of water.|*The Arroyo Colorado gauge in Harlingen recorded a record high level of 30.44 feet at 7 AM on March 28th. While some of the record water levels were due to slow flows due to a need for dredging of sediment and other debris, locations inside the levee saw water levels greater than those seen from all but Hurricane Beulah, and low water crossings in western Cameron County were under at least 2-3 feet of water depth.|*State and Farm-to-Market roads between Harlingen and Rio Hondo remained closed from at least 2 feet of water depth well into the 28th. |*Numerous homes, vehicles, and more remained under water in Palmview, Combes, Rio Hondo, Harlingen, and Primera. The community of Green Valley was especially hard hit. |*The duration of high water was partly driven by drainage backups and fill-ups in the Flood Control project of canals, ditches, and conveyance through-ways between Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy - with northern Cameron County communities bearing the brunt due to their location having the heaviest rainfall totals, which extended into southeast Hidalgo County.

Water finally drained out except for a few locations by March 30th. Final damage statistics will be included in the Flash Flood entry that includes the Harlingen/Rio Hondo/San Benito area.

The manager and security officer of the Long Island Village (Port Isabel) swing bridge reported damage from a likely small and brief tornado that crossed the bridge just after 1 AM CST (2 AM CDT) on March 28th. Dollar value of the damage is estimated.