Flooding occurred in Houston due to heavy rainfall.
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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.
The episode as NWS HGX wrote it up.
Flooding occurred in Houston due to heavy rainfall.
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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 12:32 PM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
132 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...New DISCUSSION, MARINE...
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected to
develop along a cold front this afternoon and evening. Localized
downpours will be possible, which could result in instances of
minor flooding in urban, low-lying and poor drainage areas.
- Seasonal conditions expected in the wake of the front going into
early next week.
- Hazardous Marine Conditions: Moderate to strong northeasterly
winds and building seas are expected Saturday night through
Sunday evening following the passage of the cold front. Gusts to gale
will be possible.
- There will be a moderate to high risk of strong rip currents
along all Gulf-facing beaches through at least the weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 126 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
Frontal boundary is currently making its way through the northern
Metro area. Showers have begin popping up just ahead of it. Expect
activity to increase as we go into the afternoon hours. Dynamics do
look favorable for a few stronger storms. CAPE values are expected
to exceed 2000 J/kg this afternoon with shear values around 40-25
kts, both of which could lead to more organized storms that would
have the potential to create gusty winds and some hail.
In addition to those hazards, PWAT values closer to the coast are
running high (values around 2.0"), which will contribute to heavy
downpours with some of those storms. This could lead to isolated
instances of flooding, particularly in urban and low-lying areas and
areas with poor drainage. WPC has maintained a Marginal Risk for
portions of southeast Texas.
HRRR seemed to have a good handle on this morning's events that
occurred to our west, and has so far continued to initialize well.
So, using that model--looks like we will see activity really bubble
up closer to 3 PM across the Metro and Coastal Plains as the front
slows down during its approach to the coast. Expect showers and
storms to continue through the evening hours, transitioning to
primarily showers during the overnight hours, heavy downpours will
still be possible with some of the overnight showers.
A reinforcing front will bring the drier cooler conditions into the
area from NW to SE overnight into Sunday morning.
Additionally, expect winds to increase during that time through
Sunday afternoon with gusts to 20-25 mph inland and up to 30 mph
along the coast.
Cooler weather will continue through Monday night with daytime highs
in the low 70s and overnight lows in the 40s (isolated spots in the
upper 40s further north). A gradual warming period will take place
through the remainder of the week with highs in the mid 70s on
Tuesday and reaching into the mid 80s by the end of the week next
week.
Next chance of rain is set for Monday night into Tuesday as an upper-
level low moves through the area. PWATs expected to increase to
above 1.5" during that time, so may see another round of heavy
downpours with some of those showers. WPC has an area along and
south of a line from just south of College Station stretching over
to Galveston Bay in a Marginal Risk for excessive rainfall.
With this event still a few days out, please make sure to monitor
the forecast for any changes.
Bailey
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAF Issuance)
Issued at 617 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
MVFR cigs will prevail for much of the TAF period at all
terminals. Scattered SHRA will begin to develop late this morning
near CLL/UTS/CXO then spread southward during the afternoon to all
other terminals. TSRA will be possible at CLL/UTS/CXO along a cold
front, and have included PROB30s for these terminals from roughly
18-22z. Farther south, confidence in TSRA is higher and have now
converted the PROB30s to TEMPOs in this cycle. Behind the front,
winds sharply turn from southerly to northerly and become gusty
with gusts of 20-25 kt. SHRA will also continue for several hours
behind the front. Some reduction to IFR is possible near the coast
as well. Near the end of the period, cigs will begin to rise to
VFR at the northern terminals with SHRA ending. However, MVFR cigs
and light SHRA will likely continue through 12z at LBX/GLS.
Young
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 126 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
While light to moderate onshore flow will continue through
Saturday afternoon, a drastic change in conditions is expected
Saturday night into Sunday following the passage of a cold front.
This front is expected to push through the coastal waters Saturday
evening into Saturday night. Scattered showers and isolated
thunderstorms will develop Saturday afternoon/evening ahead of the
front with showers lingering through early Sunday morning due to
lingering moisture behind the front. Isolated downpours and gusty
winds will be possible with any thunderstorms that develop.
Strong north to northeasterly winds are expected to develop behind
the passage of the cold front. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect
for the Bays Saturday evening into early Sunday afternoon due to
expected wind speeds of 20-30kt with frequent gusts to gale (around
35kt) during the late night/early morning hours. The highest wind
gusts will likely occur near the Bay entrances. A Gale Watch has
been issued for the same timeframe for the nearshore waters where
winds of 25-30kt with frequent gusts to 35-40kt possible. A Gale
Warning has been issued for the offshore waters. Very rough bay
waters and seas of 5-8ft in the nearshore waters and 7-10ft in the
offshore waters are expected. While the gale conditions are expected
to end early Sunday afternoon, there will be elevated winds and seas
through late Sunday. Winds veer through Monday with onshore flow
expected by Monday night.
Beach Forecast: There is a high risk of strong rip currents along
Gulf-facing beaches through Saturday. There will also be increased
wave run-up and elevated tides through Saturday (high tides running
around 3-3.3ft above MLLW). Elevated tides are expected to return
early next week as the onshore flow returns.
Fowler/Bailey
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
College Station (CLL) 75 51 74 54 / 60 70 0 10
Houston (IAH) 83 56 73 57 / 70 80 10 0
Galveston (GLS) 80 60 73 67 / 50 90 30 10
&&
.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...High Rip Current Risk until 10 PM CDT this evening for
TXZ436>439.
GM...Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 1 PM CDT Sunday
for GMZ330-335.
Gale Watch from 9 PM CDT this evening through Sunday afternoon
for GMZ350-355.
Gale Warning from 9 PM this evening to 1 PM CDT Sunday for
GMZ370-375.
&&
DISCUSSION...Bailey
AVIATION...Young
MARINE...BaileySpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 336 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026 TXZ213-313-182115- Coastal Harris TX-Inland Harris TX- 336 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL HARRIS COUNTY THROUGH 415 PM CDT... At 335 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Hunterwood, or over Cloverleaf, moving northeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...Pea size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Northwestern Pasadena, West University Place, Galena Park, Jacinto City, Midtown Houston, Cloverleaf, Downtown Houston, Greenway / Upper Kirby Area, Second Ward, Neartown / Montrose, Greater Eastwood, Near Northside Houston, Greater Fifth Ward, Memorial Park, Greater Third Ward, Fourth Ward, University Place, Astrodome Area, Macgregor, and Afton Oaks / River Oaks Area. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. && LAT...LON 2964 9538 2975 9545 2992 9522 2976 9510 TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 240DEG 8KT 2980 9521 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH Bailey
The Houston radar (KHGX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:46 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding from heavy rainfall was observed by traffic cameras on the east side of Houston around I-10 at McCarty St. Flooding did result in the closure of I-10 in both directions.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2026
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1322902.