The National Weather Service in Brownsville issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Wednesday morning for three counties in Deep South Texas, as a storm producing torrential rainfall moved through the region and raised concerns about flash flooding across Cameron, Kenedy, and Willacy counties.
The warning is in effect until 7:15 AM CDT. At 6:26 AM CDT, the National Weather Service located the storm 8 miles northeast of San Perlita, or approximately 10 miles west of Port Mansfield — placing it over a lightly populated stretch of coastal South Texas well south of the Coastal Bend.
Torrential rainfall is occurring with the storm, the National Weather Service reported, with the agency warning that accumulating runoff may trigger flash flooding. Residents and motorists in the warning zone are urged not to drive through flooded roadways — a recurring hazard across the flat coastal plain of Deep South Texas, where standing water can rapidly obscure road surfaces and become life-threatening even in a standard vehicle.
Those in the direct path of the storm are advised to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building — standard National Weather Service guidance when severe thunderstorms threaten populated areas.
The three-county warning zone spans the southernmost reach of Texas. Cameron County — which includes Brownsville and communities along the Rio Grande delta — anchors the eastern end of the warned area. Kenedy and Willacy counties extend northward from Cameron along the Gulf Coast and are among the most sparsely populated counties in the state, which can mean longer emergency response times for residents in isolated ranching and coastal communities.
While Wednesday’s warning covers a single National Weather Service alert zone, the flash flooding threat can extend beyond formally warned boundaries as intense rainfall accumulates and drainage systems become overwhelmed. The National Weather Service advises residents across the region to avoid all flooded roads regardless of whether their specific location falls within the warning perimeter.
The warning is set to expire at 7:15 AM CDT. Residents in Kenedy, Cameron, and Willacy counties should continue monitoring the National Weather Service in Brownsville for any extensions, additional warnings, or flash flood statements as the storm moves through the area during the early morning hours.