Texas, Oklahoma Flood Threat Continues, Despite Ongoing Drought

Don't Underestimate The Power Of Water

Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.

More flooding rain is possible in parts of Texas and Oklahoma through Monday, despite parts of the Plains being in extreme drought.

Rainfall is ongoing and has caused localized flooding. Showers and thunderstorms are spreading across parts of the Southern Plains, as depicted in the radar map below.

The heavy rain contributed to flooding in central Texas on Saturday morning. Floodwaters swamped vehicles in the San Antonio metro area, according to a National Weather Service report.

We expect the heaviest additional rainfall totals from the lower Rio Grande Valley into central and northwestern Texas and parts of Oklahoma.

Isn't some of this rain beneficial for the drought? There is a long-term drought in place over much of the Great Plains, particularly from Texas to Nebraska. In some of these areas – from northern Oklahoma into Kansas, for example – this rain may not be heavy enough to trigger flooding, but rather soak into the ground, providing much-needed drought relief.

H​owever, for west-central and central Texas, heavy rain falling on drought-hardened ground may run off more than soak in, leading to flash flooding.

S​outherly winds to the east of that low will pull deep tropical moisture into the Southern Plains. And because the winds steering the bands of rain and thunderstorms will be weak, they'll move slowly. When precipitation moves slowly, that increases the odds of big totals and flash flooding.

Take a flash flood threat seriously. Flooding has claimed an average of 110 lives in the U.S. each year in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service. That's more than double the average killed from tornadoes and more than five times the number killed by lightning.

We have a full discussion of flood safety here. The key takeaways are:

-Know if you're in a flood-prone area and how to get to higher ground quickly.

-If your area is in a flood watch, be aware and ready in case flooding occurs.

-Never attempt to drive through a section of a flooded road or around barriers that signal a road closure. Over half of all flood deaths occur in vehicles.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.