MCALLEN, Texas (AP) — Drenching rains along the Texas-Mexico border trapped hundreds of people in flooded homes and in cars stranded in high waters, scrambling rescue crews to calls for help that continued Friday, March 28, 2025, even as the downpours let up. At least four people died, including some who drowned. Officials warned that the devastation from the storms — which set records in parts of Texas’ low-lying Rio Grande Valley — was only starting to come into focus.
In Mexico, hundreds sought temporary shelter, and videos on social media showed military personnel wading through chest-high waters. On the U.S. side, officials said at least three people were killed in Hidalgo County, where officials reported that more than 21 inches (53 centimeters) of rain this week soaked the city of Harlingen. The region, known for its rich farmland, is now facing significant losses to agriculture and livestock, as noted by Texas’ agriculture commissioner.
“The bed is the only thing dry right now, because the sofas are soaked. Everything is soaked,” said Jionni Ochoa, 46, from his home in Palm Valley, near Harlingen. He and his wife were still waiting to be rescued Friday as the water inside their home reached their knees. Ochoa recounted how water started coming into their house the previous night, Thursday, March 27, 2025, and began pouring out of the electrical sockets. They turned off the power and tried to save as much as they could. “Things I stacked up, the rain, the water made it float, and it knocked it down. So everything got messed up, everything got ruined,” he said.
Hidalgo County officials stated they did not immediately have more information about the three deaths, only that they involved law enforcement efforts. Meanwhile, the Mexican state of Tamaulipas reported that an 83-year-old man drowned in Reynosa, which is directly across the border from McAllen, Texas.
Earlier Friday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that the driver of a vehicle suspected of taking part in migrant smuggling attempted to cross a flooded roadway in Hidalgo County and plunged into a canal. The agency confirmed that the body of one person who drowned was recovered and another was missing. It remains unclear if these incidents were among the deaths reported by county officials.
In Alamo, a small Texas border city, crews responded to more than 100 water rescues, including people stranded in vehicles and trapped in homes, Fire Department Chief R.C. Flores reported. Dozens more rescues were made in nearby Weslaco, which was inundated with about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain, according to Mayor Adrian Gonzalez. “It’s a historic rainstorm, and it’s affecting all the Valley, not just Weslaco,” Gonzalez stated.
Thousands of power outages were reported across the region, and more than 20 school districts and college campuses canceled classes. Valley International Airport in Harlingen was closed on Friday, and all flights were canceled. Between 7 and 12 inches of rain (20 and 31 centimeters) fell in parts of northeastern Mexico, according to Tamaulipas authorities. Luis Gerardo González de la Fuente, the state coordinator of emergencies, indicated that the most affected city was Reynosa, but conditions were also dangerous in the border cities of Rio Bravo, Miguel Aleman, and parts of Matamoros, south of Brownsville, Texas.
Some 640 military personnel were deployed in the area to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. Authorities reported that electricity was being restored as water levels dropped, but they did not clarify how many people were still without power.
In Texas, Emma Alaniz expressed her resignation at not being able to leave her home in a colonia, an unincorporated neighborhood typically located in rural areas with underdeveloped infrastructure. She described her home as being on “an island.” “For today, I won’t be able to go anywhere, because I don’t have a big vehicle,” she said. “I have a small car, and I won’t be able to take it out to the flooded street.”
As the rain subsides, the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, and officials urge residents to remain cautious as recovery efforts continue. The community is coming together to support one another in this challenging time, with local organizations stepping up to provide assistance to those affected.
