Flash flood warnings issued for Jim Wells County towns as rain continues

Residents in Alice, Orange Grove and San Diego needed to stay off flooded roads, keep alert systems on and be ready for more warnings as heavy rain moved across Jim Wells County overnight and into the morning commute. The National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi said flash flooding was ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the warned area, with impacts possible on small creeks and streams, urban streets, underpasses, highways, poor-drainage spots and low-lying locations.

At 4:41 a.m. CDT Thursday, the warning covered Orange Grove, Alice, San Diego and surrounding communities including Agua Dulce and Banquete. Doppler radar showed thunderstorms producing heavy rain, and the weather service said 1 to 3.5 inches had already fallen. Rainfall rates were expected to reach 2 to 3 inches in an hour, with up to 2 more inches possible in the warned area before the threat eased.

The immediate warning sat inside a broader Flood Watch for all of South Texas that began late Thursday and ran through Monday evening. Jim Wells County, including Alice, Orange Grove and San Diego, was part of that watch as forecasters said recent rainfall had already lowered 3-hour flash flood guidance below 2.5 inches across much of eastern South Texas and below 0.50 inches in some places. That means even a relatively small burst of rain could quickly turn into flooding.

Forecasters said multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms were expected through the weekend, with a marginal to slight risk of flash flooding on several days. Their forecast discussion called for 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain in the western half of the region and 3.5 to 5 inches in the eastern half from Thursday night through Monday, with isolated higher totals possible. The weather service also said localized totals over 6 inches could develop in the broader Corpus Christi forecast area.

Jim Wells County’s population was 38,891 in the 2020 census, and Alice, the county seat and largest city, sits about 44 miles west of Corpus Christi. County and city emergency-management pages point residents to preparedness information, including Jim Wells County Emergency Management’s all-hazards guide and the City of Alice’s eight outdoor warning sirens and evacuation-route information for emergencies.

With rain already on the ground and more rounds expected, the safest move was to plan for delays before school and work travel, keep multiple ways to receive alerts and avoid driving through water-covered streets or low-water crossings. The county also comes into this storm period after officials held a special meeting on May 9, 2025, to discuss a severe-weather event from May 8, underscoring how quickly heavy rain can strain local response.