Heavy rainfall finally eased along the Texas-Mexico border on Friday, but emergency crews continued rescue operations after severe storms the day before left widespread flooding, stranded residents, and submerged vehicles.
At least three people have died, though Hidalgo County officials said details about the fatalities remain limited, noting only that they occurred during law enforcement response efforts.
In Harlingen, city officials reported more than 21 inches of rain over the past week, with Thursday’s downpour causing particularly severe flooding. Authorities rescued over 200 residents, with another 200 still awaiting help.
“This of course has been a historic and challenging event for the city. But Harlingen is strong. We have faced adversity before and we will get through this together,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said during a Friday news conference.
Meanwhile, in the city of Alamo, emergency responders handled more than 100 water rescues, including people trapped in homes and stranded in vehicles, according to fire chief R.C. Flores. The flooding also forced road closures and disrupted air travel, shutting down a local airport during the height of the storm.
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.