It’s been raining all week in southern Texas where torrential rainfall will continue through Friday, some areas seeing more than 20 inches of rain. The American Red Cross is responding and urges people to obey any evacuation orders issued for their neighborhoods.

Some areas have already gotten as much as 16 inches of rain which led to dozens of water rescues. The National Weather Service reports “significant to locally catastrophic flash flooding” could last through Friday, elevating the risk for heavy rain and flash flooding to the highest possible level there is.

The Pecos, Rio Grande, Nueces, Frio, Medina and San Antonio rivers could all flood. The areas at greatest risk include all or parts of Medina, Frio, Uvalde, Kinney, Maverick, Zavala, Val Verde, Edwards, Real and Bandera counties. Of special concern are people who may be vacationing in the area who are not familiar with the flash flood threat.

FLOOD SAFETY  Be prepared to evacuate immediately if officials ask you to do so. Don’t return home until they say it is safe. 

• A flood/flash flood WATCH means a flood or flash flood is possible. A flood/flash flood WARNING means flooding or flash flooding is already occurring or will occur soon. TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS!
• Turn around, don’t drown!  Don’t walk, swim or drive through floodwaters.
• Stay off the roads. If you must drive and you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and go another way. 
• Follow evacuation routes and don’t try to take shortcuts because they may be blocked. 
• If you’re caught on a flooded road and waters are rising around you, quickly get out of the car, move to higher ground and stay there. 
• Check with loved ones and neighbors to see if they need help. 

HOW TO GET READY People should make their preparations now, remain vigilant and be alert for any flood warnings for their community. 

• If you need to leave your home, think about where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, where you’ll stay and what you’ll take with you. Don’t forget to include pets in your plans.  
• Write down important phone numbers on a contact card and carry it with you.
• Have a backup battery or another way to charge your cell phone, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.  
• Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government, and make sure you know what different types of alerts mean.  
• Gather critical supplies — like food, water and medicine — and organize them into a go-kit and a stay-at-home kit. Your go-kit should include three days of supplies that you can carry with you. Your stay-at-home kit should have two weeks of food and water and a one-month supply of medications and medical supplies.  
• If you have pets, include leashes, carriers, food, bowls, litter, litterbox and photos of you with your pet in case you’re separated. If you have young children, include diapers, wipes and formula.  
• Keep your personal, financial and medical records in a safe place that’s easy to access (hard copies or securely backed up). Consider keeping a list of your medications and dosages on a small card to carry with you. 
• Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for real-time alerts, expert advice in English and Spanish, and available disaster shelter and support locations.

FIND A SHELTER Find shelter locations on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). You can also follow your local Red Cross or emergency officials on social media, sign up for free local government alerts or monitor local news.  

• Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability or citizenship status.  
• All disaster assistance is free. We don’t require people to show any kind of identification to enter a shelter — just their name and where they were living before the fires. 
• If possible, we encourage people who plan to stay in a shelter to bring prescription medications, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, other comfort items and important documents.  
• We do everything we can to accommodate service animals and pets comfortably in our shelters. Sometimes, pets may need to be housed in a different location with support from local partners.