Flood watch continues as heavy rain threatens central Texas again

Floodwaters had barely started to recede in parts of Central Texas when forecasters warned the region could be hit again. The National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio kept a Flood Watch in effect for counties east of Interstate 35 and south of U.S. Highway 90 through 7 p.m. Tuesday, warning that heavy rain and lightning could produce isolated pockets of more than 6 inches, and later more than 8 inches, of rain.

The risk was centered near and south of the I-35 corridor, where multiple waves of rain and storms were expected from Monday through Tuesday. That forecast followed a weekend of severe flooding that sent 3 to more than 5 inches of rain crashing down in just hours in parts of Texas, including Waco and Austin, according to regional reports and ABC News. In Waco, flash flooding on Interstate 35 led to water rescues and stranded vehicles, a sign of how quickly major travel routes can become impassable when rainfall rates spike.

The Weather Prediction Center added to the concern with an Excessive Rainfall Outlook for June 16 and 17, underscoring that the threat was not limited to a single burst of storms. Forecasters said torrential downpours could continue to drop dangerous amounts of rain on the same communities already dealing with runoff, swollen creeks and delayed recovery efforts. In places such as New Braunfels and along low-lying stretches near Austin and Waco, the next round of storms could again threaten roads, emergency access and homes already saturated by the weekend deluge.

Water managers were also under strain. Floodgates were opened at Lake Austin and Lake Bastrop dams as heavy rain hit Central Texas, reflecting the speed with which runoff was filling rivers, reservoirs and drainage systems. The worry across the region was not only the amount of rain falling, but how soon it could fall again before crews had time to restore normal operations.

The renewed threat carried painful echoes of the July 2025 flooding in the Texas Hill Country, when the Guadalupe River reportedly rose 26 feet in 45 minutes and more than 100 people died, including summer campers. That disaster still hangs over the region as another round of heavy rain tests the same corridors, warning systems and flood-control infrastructure now under pressure once more.