Extreme heat and flash flooding threaten multiple regions across US

Flash flood warnings were in effect in south-central Texas on Tuesday, including Uvalde County, while warnings also covered Edwards, Kinney, Real and Bexar counties as some warned areas received 3 to 4 inches of rain.

A significant heat wave continued across multiple regions, with excessive rainfall posing a threat of life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding.

Southern California remained under extreme heat warnings with forecast highs of 110 to 113 degrees and heat indices of 113 to 118 degrees. Heat can quickly cause heat-related illness, especially when high temperatures combine with humidity, a risk that grows as communities try to handle flooding, evacuations and medical calls at the same time.

The overlapping threats put pressure on local governments and first responders from Texas to the Northeast United States, where heat warnings also stretched into multiple regions. In Texas, the concern was not only the amount of rain but the speed with which saturated ground could turn heavy downpours into flash flooding, a problem that can cut off roads, overwhelm drainage and complicate rescue work in low-lying areas.

The Texas flooding came amid memories of the deadly July 4, 2025 Hill Country floods, which killed more than 130 people statewide, including 116 in Kerr County. Top emergency leaders were asleep or out of town during the early hours of that response.

State investigators later found Camp Mystic lacked required written emergency plans and adequate evacuation measures. The camp will not reopen for the 2026 season after withdrawing its license application.