Texas is mobilizing emergency response crews in anticipation of expected flash flooding from a now fully-formed tropical storm that forecasters predicted would hit the southeast part of the state on Tuesday.  Federal forecasters elevated a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico to Tropical Storm Edouard on Monday evening. The National Hurricane Center said the storm could approach hurricane strength as it approached the northwest Gulf Coast, bringing heavy rain and flash flooding potential to the eastern Houston region.  The current National Weather Service forecast says the storm will likely drop 3 to 6 inches of rain in areas along and east of Interstate 45, with highest rain chances starting in the late morning and extending through Tuesday evening. Some spots could receive 6 to 9 inches of rain and some could see rainfall rates of 3 to 4 inches an hour, forecasters said. A storm surge warning from High Island, Texas, to the Vermillion/Cameron Parish Line in Louisiana was also issued.  Forecasters said the storm, which could reach hurricane strength before it reaches the Gulf Coast, is expected to bring heavy rain and flash flooding to southeast Texas on Tuesday. view article

Scattered Heavy Rain - through Thursday

After consulting with meteorologists early this morning and out of an abundance of caution, La Porte ISD will be closed today due to the potential for local flooding and hazardous road conditions later in the day. We will continue to monitor conditions and consult regularly with area meteorologists and will provide updates as needed. Please avoid unnecessary travel, use caution if you must be on the roads, and never drive through flooded roadways. Most importantly, please stay safe and take care of yourselves and your families.

Austin is considering new regulations for massive AI data centers amid growing concerns over their significant water and energy demands.  The recent surge in water- and energy-intensive artificial intelligence data center construction has forced lawmakers across the country to find ways to protect limited local resources. Now Austin is too.  As AI use has skyrocketed, so has the need for data centers to house the servers that power it. The facilities can be expansive — some spanning more than 1,000 acres — and resource-intensive, consuming hundreds of millions of gallons of water a year and requiring more than 100 megawatts of power. The city said 1 megawatt is enough to power about 250 homes.  Communities across the country have struggled to develop policies surrounding data centers at the same pace they have been proposed and built. The same is true for Austin, where the city lacks a specific land use classification for traditional and AI data centers, leaving city leaders with limited regulatory authority. Some Austin City Council members are now racing to get ahead of the issue before a hyper-scale facility is proposed within city limits, seeking to tap into the city’s strained water and energy resources. view article

Officials in Palo Pinto and Jack counties are asking the public to avoid areas within their borders as crews battle a wildfire that’s burned about 50,000 acres. About 5% of the Ross Fire has been contained in Palo Pinto County, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The fire has prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to award a Fire Management Assistance Grant to the state, according to a Tuesday news release from Gov. Greg Abbott. Through the grant, the state is eligible for a 75% reimbursement in costs made to suppress the wildfire. Over 600 households have been evacuated overnight in surrounding areas, according to the release.  view article

At least 16 show animals were killed and four are seriously injured after dogs attacked a Somerset Independent School District agriculture barn just days into the new school year. According to the school district, the animals, which included goats, sheep and pigs, were killed. They were housed inside the Future Farmers of America program’s agriculture barn located in southwest Bexar County. view article

While retailers won't go out of business overnight, many are sitting on products they can't sell.  At a recently opened Vape Time smoke shop on Shepherd Drive in Houston, a neon sign advertised "DELTA 8" on Wednesday. But inside, the advertised delta-8 had been pulled off the shelves. That's because Texas recently banned delta-8 and delta-9 products, though the cashier said he still wasn't clear what the store was allowed to sell. As a precaution, Vape Time now sells hardly any THC products. After a campaign from conservative Texas lawmakers who argued that the state's THC retailers were exploiting a loophole and peddling products to kids, a crackdown ensued. At the end of July, Texas moved to reschedule and ban the sale of several hemp-derived THC products, such as those containing delta-8 and delta-10 THC derivatives. Possessing these products is now an offense that can carry jail time.  view article

Parts of West Texas could see rounds of thunderstorms through the weekend, bringing strong winds, frequent lightning and enough heavy rain to potentially cause localized flash flooding."Some storms may produce strong winds, frequent lightning, and heavy rainfall leading to localized flash flooding," NWS forecasters wrote in their Friday afternoon forecast discussion.  For Friday, the best opportunity for thunderstorms will be mainly along and west of the Pecos River, where forecasters said moisture, instability and upslope winds could help storms develop during the afternoon.  Most of that activity should fade Friday evening as daytime heating winds down before another round becomes possible Saturday afternoon.  The storm chances aren't necessarily bringing much relief from the August heat, either. view article

Stephens County officials issued an emergency declaration Monday as a fast-moving wildfire burned north of Breckenridge and threatened to worsen amid increasing winds.  The wildfire ignited at about 1 p.m. Monday approximately five miles north of Breckenridge along Highway 67, according to a statement from the Stephens County judge's office.  Officials said the fire was spreading rapidly to the north and had crossed FM 1800. view article

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responded with fury after Corpus Christi officials announced in March that this Gulf Coast region of more than 500,000 people could face unprecedented restrictions as its water supply dried up.  The state had already committed over $750 million in low-interest loans to the city’s plans for a desalination plant, a project that would add 30 million gallons a day to the region’s water supply. But the project had gone nowhere.   “You know what they did? They squandered it, and then they changed their plan and then they were indecisive about what to do,” Abbott said of city officials in a heated response to a reporter’s question at an unrelated March press conference. view article

Amid an ongoing stretch of extreme heat, parts of Texas are now under a federal emergency order designed to reduce the risk of blackouts.  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order effective through Sunday after the Southwest Power Pool Inc. (SPP) requested federal authority to help relieve grid stress caused by extreme heat and other factors. The order covers 17 states, including Texas.   view article

Gov. Greg Abbott raised the curtain on the third part of his plan to lower insurance costs for Texans. This section focuses on health insurance costs for small businesses and their employees. In conversations with small business owners, Abbott said, he heard time and time again that the employers were having trouble providing health insurance to their workers due to rising premiums.  Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article316686372.html#storylink=cpy view article

The Federal Emergency Management Agency hasn’t started helping local governments or individuals, while philanthropic response lags compared to last year’s flood. view article

KHOU 11 meteorologist Kim Castro is tracking Tropical Storm Bertha, as well as extreme heat in the Houston area. view article

Daily electricity use could surpass previous record highs, with renewable energy helping meet demand.  AUSTIN, Texas — Some of the hottest weather of the year is moving into Texas this week, and the state’s power grid operator is preparing for a significant surge in electricity demand.  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, said the state experienced its second-hottest summer on record in 2023, when electricity demand reached 85.5 megawatts – the highest level ever recorded in Texas. view article

One year after volunteer firefighter Razor Dobbs scoured the Texas Hill Country for victims of a devastating early morning flood, he stood before an elderly couple reluctant to evacuate their Center Point-area home as rain pounded and thunder crashed.It was around 3 a.m. Thursday, and in the darkness the nearby Guadalupe River was surging over its banks. view article

Long-term housing is a pressing need after last week’s storms left another 490 residences needing repairs, the governor said.  Swift-moving floodwater destroyed or heavily damaged 135 homes in Kerr County, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday from Kerrville after taking a helicopter survey of affected areas and receiving a briefing by state and area officials.  Water that surged over the banks of the Guadalupe River last week also damaged 490 homes and about 100 businesses in Kerr County, Abbott said. view article

While much of Texas has begun shifting from rescue efforts to recovery after days of catastrophic flooding, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday the state's greatest concern remains along the Nueces River, where evacuations continued in parts of Uvalde County as floodwaters slowly receded.  The storms killed at least two people and prompted disaster declarations covering dozens of counties.  “We, as a state and our local communities, still have to get them through the remaining challenges over the next 48 to 72 — maybe even longer than that — hours,” Abbott said.  In Uvalde County, the river crested at a record 28.01 feet, surpassing its previous high-water mark set in 1996. Floodwaters also destroyed part of the FM 481 bridge southwest of Uvalde, cutting off a key connection between Uvalde and Eagle Pass. view article

Tropical Storm Bertha is tracking westward across the northern Gulf. It could strengthen a little more before making landfall. Here's the latest forecast. Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to bring heavy rain to the Gulf Coast rim as the system strengthens. Tropical storm watches have already been issued for parts of the Florida Panhandle, specifically from the Ochlockonee River to the Alabama border. [theweatherchannel] 2 Articles  The system, currently identified as Tropical Depression Two, is forecasted to move northwest through the early part of the week before tracking along the northern Gulf Coast. Beyond heavy rainfall, residents should be aware of potential threats including gusty winds of 40 mph or greater, a possible storm surge of 1 to 3 feet in the Florida Big Bend region, and increased risks of rip currents from the Florida West Coast to the Louisiana coast. There is also a possibility of tropical tornadoes or waterspouts occurring as the storm progresses. [theweatherchannel] 1 Article view article

Good Morning. Tropical Storm Bertha is a good reminder that even though the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season could be one of the least active in over a decade, that doesn’t mean that tropical storms are just taking this year off. view article

DHS attributed the success to President Trump’s border security policies. view article

One of the shocking things about the storms that hit Texas this week is that rainfall of similar devastating strength struck almost exactly a year ago in many of the same places.  That tragic repetition may be less of a surprise to those who follow climate science.  While it is tricky to attribute specific rain events to climate change, experts say they know enough about how the warming atmosphere and warming oceans affect precipitation to recognize trends.   "We're not saying that our warming climate caused these floods this year, last year" Shel Winkley, chief meteorologist at Climate Central, told Texas Public Radio's The Source. "But we understand how it's making it more likely, more frequent."   A warming atmosphere, for example, increases extreme rainfall risk because warm air holds more moisture that can lead to about 4% more rainfall for every one degree warmer the air becomes, Winkley said. view article

Tropical Depression Two maps tracker: Cone of uncertainty, watches, rainfall   This system is a good reminder that, even though we’re predicting a quieter-than-normal hurricane season, that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing some storms. This is a great reminder that anyone living near hurricane-prone areas should make sure their weather alerts are enabled and their go bag is ready. Get ready, stay safe and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.   view article

Rainfall over already saturated ground keeps emergency crews on their toes, but forecasters see hope for drier weather. view article

Residents experiencing flooding on Thursday similar to 2025’s catastrophic July 4 event describe a new sense of preparedness but the same intense anxieties.   KERRVILLE — Soyla Reyna stood outside Calvary Temple Church, taking a momentary respite from hours of manning the flood displacement shelter at her home church in Kerrville on Thursday.  “A lot of it was unbelievable,” she said as the rain outside the church patio began to let up. “People are devastated by the reoccurrence.”   Over the course of the morning, Reyna had seen nearly 50 people come to Calvary Temple. They sought supplies and shelter after rapidly rising water swept away their homes and RVs, scenes reminiscent of the devastating flood that tore through the region a little over a year ago. view article

WFAA (Dallas–Fort Worth) is your source for breaking news, Texas weather, traffic, and live coverage in Dallas, Fort Worth, and across North Texas. Get the latest updates from the WFAA team — from major local headlines and investigations to severe weather, community stories, and the moments everyone’s talking about. Watch live newscasts, stream breaking coverage, and catch up on the top stories shaping Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, and surrounding communities. view article

Forecasters warn of a “large and deadly flood wave” on the Guadalupe River and place 14 counties under flash flood warnings. view article

"MASSIVE amounts of water moving downstream today." view article

The tornado warning is in effect until 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.  A tornado warning was quickly issued for parts of Frio and Medina County on Wednesday, July 16. The warning issued by the National Weather Service was originally set to expire by 6:30 a.m. However, NWS extended to 7:15 a.m. view article

After a construction worker died earlier this year on the Converse Elementary School campus, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration accused a contractor and a staffing company of committing multiple safety violations. The construction worker, later identified as 63-year-old Baltazar Rubio-Olvera, was removing dirt from the school’s crawl space with a mini-excavator. view article

Dangerous flooding is spreading across Central Texas on Tuesday as relentless rainfall overwhelms roads, with some areas seeing more than a foot of water covering major highways and rain totals climbing toward historic levels. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott activated Texas emergency response resources ahead of a statewide threat of heavy rain and flash flooding. The National Weather Service warns slow-moving storms could bring flooding, damaging winds and large hail through midweek. State rescue teams and helicopters are on standby, while Texans are urged to avoid flooded roads and stay weather aware. view article

Unreliable energy and a “mockery of republican form of government” take center stage in transmission line battle.  In response to lawmakers’ request for a pause on extra-high-voltage transmission lines, transmission service providers admitted reliance on wind and solar power, along with government intervention, is driving Permian Basin energy issues. This aligns with a third-party report that the lines are primarily built to support wind and solar, while local reliable generation alternatives were never fully examined.  Providers argued that public utility commissioners do not have the power to grant lawmakers’ request to pause the project. The next day, state senators announced they would hold a hearing on the proposed lines in late July.  view article

Crider’s dance hall is back. Homes are rebuilt. Kids swim in the river. But there’s also deep grief after the river killed 119 people and traumatized more.  Alicia Baker can’t bring herself to clean her daughter’s bedroom.   Eleven-year-old Madelyn “Emmy” Jeffrey left a pile of craft supplies on the floor in their San Antonio home before heading off to the Guadalupe River with her grandparents, where they drowned in the flood last Fourth of July.   A year later, the pile is still there. view article

wGalveston County alone is home to 22 refineries and chemical plants. Their level of emergency preparedness varies widely.  Nearly two decades had passed since the storm. For many, the memory of what had happened on Goat Island had largely vanished into the Gulf of Mexico.  Instead, what residents remembered that year were the piles of boats and cars washed up along the highway to Galveston and the twisted mounds of debris where homes once stood. It was late summer 2008, and Hurricane Ike had just struck, decimating parts of the upper Texas Gulf Coast.   But Goat Island — a spit of swampy land just east of Galveston — also flooded, and with it an oil and gas facility that sat on its uninhabited shores. When the hurricane struck, piping to the St. Mary Land and Exploration Company’s storage tanks snapped apart, releasing thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf. By the time St. Mary workers arrived a day later, the tanks were empty.   There were nearly 450 reported releases of oil, gasoline and other hazardous substances into the air and water during Ike, including the incident on Goat Island. None of these releases was catastrophic. But the area’s luck may not hold. view article