Texas weather is a weird, fickle beast. One minute you’re complaining about the humidity making your hair look like a dandelion, and the next, you’re watching the Guadalupe River try to swallow a bridge. Honestly, if you’re asking where in Texas is the flooding right now, the answer depends entirely on whether you mean "at this exact second" or "where is the damage still so bad it feels like it happened yesterday."
It’s January 18, 2026. Right now, most of the state is actually shivering under a massive freeze warning. But we can't talk about Texas water without talking about the "Wall of Water" that redefined the Hill Country just a few months back.
The Hill Country: Still Picking Up the Pieces
If you look at a map of Texas, find the curvy bits west of Austin and San Antonio. That's the Hill Country. It's beautiful, sure, but it's basically a giant funnel. In late 2025, specifically through July and into the fall, this region saw some of the most catastrophic flash flooding in American history.
Kerr County and Kendall County are the names you’ll see most in the news.
The Guadalupe River basically went rogue. In Kerrville, the water rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. Think about that for a second. That's the height of a two-story house appearing in your yard in the time it takes to watch a sitcom.
Even though the "active" floodwaters have receded this week, the "flooding" hasn't ended for the people living there. As of today, January 18, Kendall County just secured a million-dollar grant to try and fix their warning systems because the previous ones simply weren't enough. People in Comfort and Hunt are still dealing with silt-filled living rooms and roads that just... aren't there anymore.
San Antonio’s Recurring Nightmare
San Antonio is notorious for this. You’ve got these low-water crossings that look totally innocent. Then a thunderstorm hits, and suddenly Leon Creek or Beitel Creek is a deathtrap.
The most recent big hit was in late 2025 when a "wall of water" swept 15 cars off the Loop 410 frontage road. It happens so fast. One minute you’re driving to work, the next, the San Antonio Fire Department is pulling survivors out of trees.
Current status for today? Most of these creeks are low, but the city is on high alert. With rain returning to the Coastal Plains this Wednesday, emergency crews are already watching the gauges.
The Current "Hot Spots" (Or Cold Spots)
Right now, as we sit here on January 18, the National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio is more worried about your pipes bursting than your house floating away. There is a Hard Freeze Warning in effect for:
- Bexar
- Atascosa
- Karnes
- Wilson
- Dimmit
But here's the kicker: ground saturation. While it’s dry and freezing today, the forecast shows rain moving into the Coastal Plains and along the I-35 corridor by Wednesday morning. When the ground is frozen or super-saturated from previous storms, it can't soak up new rain. That’s how you get "where in Texas is the flooding" trending on Google within 24 hours of a freeze.
Why Does Texas Flood Like This?
It’s not just bad luck. It’s geography.
Central Texas sits in "Flash Flood Alley." You’ve got the Balcones Escarpment—a fancy name for a line of cliffs and hills—that acts like a ramp for moist air coming off the Gulf of Mexico. The air hits those hills, goes up, cools down, and dumps buckets of rain.
The rock underneath is mostly limestone. It’s hard. It doesn’t absorb water like the loamy soil in the Midwest. So, the water just stays on top and runs downhill. Fast.
Houston and the Coast: A Different Kind of Wet
Houston’s flooding is different. It’s slow and agonizing. While the Hill Country gets "walls of water," Houston gets "the bathtub effect."
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Harris County has one of the most sophisticated flood warning systems in the world (you can check it at harriscountyfws.org), but even that couldn't stop the persistent drainage issues in places like White Oak Bayou. Currently, the coast is quiet, but they are dealing with the same freeze-thaw cycle as the rest of the state.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think if it isn't raining at their house, they're safe.
Wrong.
You could be under a clear blue sky in Seguin and get hit by a flood wave from a storm that happened three hours ago in Kerrville. The Guadalupe River is a staircase. What happens at the top (Hunt and Ingram) always, always comes for the bottom (New Braunfels and beyond).
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How to Actually Stay Safe
If you are traveling through Central Texas this week, especially with rain in the forecast for Wednesday, do these three things:
- Download the LCRA Hydromet App: If you’re near the Colorado River or the Highland Lakes, this is the gold standard. It shows you gate operations at the dams in real-time.
- Turn Around, Don't Drown: It’s a cliché because it’s true. Six inches of water will knock you off your feet. Two feet will carry your SUV away. I don't care how big your truck is.
- Check the Gauges: Look at the National Water Prediction Service (NWPS) local view. If the line is trending up, get out.
Honestly, Texas is a place where the weather tries to kill you twice a year—once with the heat and once with the water. Right now, the "flooding" is a memory for some and a looming threat for others as the next system rolls in from Mexico.
Actionable Steps for Today
- Check your location: Use the Texas Flood Map to see if your specific neighborhood is in a flood-prone zone.
- Monitor Wednesday's Forecast: If you are in the Coastal Plains or along I-35, prepare for slick roads and rising creeks by Tuesday night.
- Insulate Your Pipes: Since a freeze is currently happening alongside these weather shifts, ensure your outdoor plumbing is wrapped to prevent bursts when the temperature fluctuates.
- Sign up for Alerts: Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on your phone and specifically follow your county's Office of Emergency Management on social media.