Texas Governor Greg Abbott has mobilized state emergency resources and ordered the State Emergency Operations Center to shift to round-the-clock operations as a dangerous flooding threat bears down on North Texas and much of the state this week.
Abbott attended a severe weather briefing Monday at the State Emergency Operations Center where officials laid out preparations for what forecasters are calling a potentially widespread flooding event. The center is set to begin 24-hour operations starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The National Weather Service warns that tropical moisture tied to Hurricane Polo combined with an approaching low-pressure system will push heavy rainfall and thunderstorms into the region. The system is expected to move from Far West Texas before spreading across most of the state by midweek.
Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional response assets across the state. More than 1,900 emergency personnel and over 1,500 pieces of equipment have been positioned and made ready for deployment.
Swift water rescue boat teams and high-water vehicles from Texas A&M Task Force 1 are among the resources standing by. Texas National Guard troops along with high-profile vehicles and Black Hawk helicopters have also been made available. Department of Public Safety troopers helicopters and tactical marine units are on standby as well.
Officials are urging all Texans to stay off flooded roadways and to treat any standing water as a serious hazard. Floodwaters can be significantly deeper and move much faster than they appear from the surface making them deadly even in vehicles.
Abbott stressed the importance of heeding local guidance and monitoring weather forecasts closely as conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly. Residents are reminded to follow the Turn Around Don’t Drown warning which applies to both drivers and pedestrians.
Real-time road conditions can be monitored at DriveTexas.org and severe weather preparedness resources are available through TexasReady.gov.