North Texas drivers woke up Thursday to a flash flood warning covering Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving and more than a dozen other cities, as thunderstorms dumped up to 2 inches of rain in a short window and threatened to drop more at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. The warning, issued at 7:24 a.m. and set to expire at 10:30 a.m., stretched across Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and put several major interstates on alert for sudden, dangerous flooding.
Radar and Rain Gauges Confirmed Heavy Downpours
The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth issued the warning Thursday morning, and Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area, according to the Star-Telegram. The same report detailed that up to 2 inches of rain had already fallen by the time the warning went out, with an expected rainfall rate of 2 to 3 inches in a single hour, a figure also recorded by GovOneStop's reproduction of the alert. The warning text stated flash flooding was ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
The alert covered Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Frisco, Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Mansfield, Euless, Bedford, Grapevine, Haltom City, Keller, Coppell and Hurst, the Star-Telegram's report noted. Everman Emergency Services also shared the warning with residents Thursday morning, flagging the same timeline and coverage area for local followers.
Interstates Flagged for Potential Flash Flooding
Officials specifically called out stretches of five interstates within the warned zone. Per the same GovOneStop posting of the alert, the warning included Interstate 35E between mile markers 437 and 466, Interstate 35W between mile markers 38 and 85, Interstate 35 between mile markers 468 and 470, Interstate 20 between mile markers 423 and 456, and Interstate 30 between mile markers 2 and 37. The warning said flash flooding could affect small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, poor-drainage areas and low-lying areas.
The alert carried standard safety guidance, urging people to turn around rather than drive into flooded roads, since most flood deaths occur in vehicles. People in the warned area were advised to stay aware of their surroundings and avoid driving onto flooded roadways, the same posting indicated.
More Rain Expected Through the Weekend
Thursday's warning came amid a broader stretch of unsettled weather across North Texas. As reported by CBS News Texas, total rainfall amounts were on track to reach 2 to 4 inches regionally, with isolated amounts over 6 inches possible depending on where the frontal boundary stalled. The outlet also reported that rain would be heavy at times as it moved slowly eastward, prompting flooding concerns areawide, and that gusty winds accompanying the rain were expected to reduce visibility on roads.
CBS News Texas additionally noted that a flood watch remained in place through 7 a.m. Friday, extending the window of concern well beyond Thursday morning's warning. A separate forecast discussion from the National Weather Service's Fort Worth office offered a somewhat different rainfall estimate, citing average totals between 1.5 and 3 inches with isolated higher amounts up to 5 inches possible through Friday morning; that figure differs from the 2-to-4-inch, isolated-6-inch range cited by CBS News Texas, and both estimates are presented here since the two accounts do not agree.
