Weekend thunderstorms dump nearly 2 inches of rain across Del Rio, county

Ceniza Hills picked up the heaviest neighborhood total in Del Rio, with 1.84 inches of rain, as weekend thunderstorms pushed through Val Verde County and sent San Felipe Creek to a crest of 10.87 feet.

Daniel Schreiber checked local gauges and found the rain falling unevenly across town. Alta Vista measured 1.71 inches, Industrial Boulevard and Frontera Road got 1.75 inches, and Comstock recorded 1.14 inches by Sunday morning. That spread matters in Del Rio, where one part of town can get a soaking while another sees a lighter shower just a few miles away.

The creek response showed how quickly the water moved. Social-media photos showed San Felipe Creek overtopping the Johnson/Academy Street Bridge, a reminder that even a short burst can turn creek crossings into problem spots. In a city built around low-water infrastructure and bridge routes, that kind of rise can affect commutes, errands and any travel near the channel until the water drops.

Schreiber said the storms came from a small but robust atmospheric disturbance within the jet stream, the kind of setup that often shows up between April and May in Del Rio. He noted that spring’s contrast between cold air aloft and warm surface air can fuel hail, high winds and even tornadoes when Gulf moisture is in place. For Val Verde County, that means the weekend rain was part of a familiar pattern, not an isolated event.

The wet weather also underscores why local gauges matter when official totals lag behind. The National Weather Service maintains an observation archive for Del Rio International Airport, and the NOAA National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office keeps a historical weather-events archive for South Central Texas and Del Rio, but the neighborhood readings gave the clearest snapshot of where the rain hit hardest. With more storms still possible during the spring transition, residents will be watching creek levels, bridge crossings and low spots closely as the next round of weather develops.