Bridge Collapse and Widespread Road Closures Deepen Flood Crisis Across Uvalde County
A flood-damaged bridge has collapsed in Uvalde County as South Texas continues to reel from one of the most destructive rainfall events in recent memory, leaving dozens of roadways impassable and thousands of residents under emergency orders.
,At least two people have been killed and 230 others rescued after repeated thunderstorms triggered catastrophic flash flooding across the Texas Hill Country and south-central Texas., The collapse of the bridge came as officials worked around the clock to stabilize a region already overwhelmed by days of relentless rainfall.
,Uvalde County alone absorbed at least 20 inches of rain in just a few days, a total that falls just shy of the area’s entire yearly average., The sheer volume of water transformed streets, highways, and creek crossings into dangerous, fast-moving channels.
,Intense overnight rainfall submerged roads and homes across Uvalde, prompting more than 40 rescues, while a flash flood emergency was declared and mandatory evacuations were put in motion as drone footage captured the Leona River overflowing near the city.,
,Uvalde was temporarily cut off from outside road access after water covered the principal state highways entering and leaving the city., ,At least 125 roadway segments were affected statewide, with 87 remaining closed during Thursday’s response operations, including sections of U.S. Highway 90 between Uvalde and Del Rio, as well as U.S. Highway 83, State Highway 55, FM 2369, and FM 481.,
,Local officials warned that motorists bypassing barricades were diverting emergency personnel away from rescues involving people trapped inside homes and vehicles.,
,Emergency personnel have carried out at least 80 water rescues across Texas so far,, with the pace of operations showing little sign of slowing. ,Texas deployed more than 2,350 emergency responders and over 1,400 response assets as flood waves moved through several river basins.,
,The scale of the disaster prompted Governor Greg Abbott to declare a state of emergency for 59 counties, with Blackhawk helicopters, rescue teams, the National Guard, and other state resources all activated in response.,
,A shelter was opened at the Uvalde Fairplex for residents who were displaced or felt unsafe in their homes., ,Volunteers with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief also mobilized toward the Uvalde area to prepare hot meals in cooperation with the Salvation Army.,
,South-central Texas has been battered by heavy rain since Monday night, with more than 2.5 million people in the direct path of additional rounds of torrential rain forecast through Friday., ,The National Weather Service confirmed that some parts of Texas received over two feet of rain since Monday, fueling dangerous flooding across five separate rivers.,
,Scientists have noted that extreme rainfall events of this nature are becoming more common as rising temperatures allow warmer air to hold greater amounts of atmospheric moisture.