National Guard members prepare a Sikorsky HH-60M Black Hawk for a medical mission, July 16, 2026. (Texas Military Department/X)
While the extreme rainfall that pounded much of western Texas is forecast to continue moving westward, several counties are still watching for floods as rivers continue to rise.
The state’s National Guard is providing aid, medical transport and search-and-rescue services to over 50 flood-stricken counties in Central and South Texas.
On Thursday, two CH-47F Chinook helicopters carried 10 pallets of meals and four pallets of water, the Texas Military Department, the state’s combined Army, Air and State Guard, said. The CH-47F Chinook is the Army National Guard’s primary aircraft for transporting disaster relief during natural disasters.
Pallets of food and water are loaded onto a CH-47F Chinook helicopter, bound for Uvalde, Texas, where extreme rainfall has lead to flooding in the south and center of the state. (Texas Military Department/X)
Pallets of food and water are loaded onto a CH-47F Chinook helicopter, bound for Uvalde, Texas, where extreme rainfall has lead to flooding in the south and center of the state. (Texas Military Department/X)
As of Friday, 125 people in Uvalde remained in shelters. The city, which experienced a torrential downpour, is situated east of the Nueces River, where on Friday a section of a bridge collapsed due to flooding.
In addition to disaster relief, the Texas National Guard said in a post to X Thursday that members were involved in search and rescue. Guardsmen provided airlift support to the state’s emergency medical response team, transporting people via Sikorsky HH-60M Black Hawk to medical facilities during the flooding.
“Over 700 service members are on the ground and in the air evacuating and rescuing those in need — with Chinooks, Black Hawks, and dozens of tactical vehicles,” the Texas Military Department said.
Some of the affected areas this week have seen more than 2 feet of rain, according to the National Weather Service. A flash flood warning remained in effect for Crockett County on Friday. At least two people have died during the flooding near Uvalde and Kerrville, Texas, according to WOAI NBC News Channel 4 San Antonio.
Flooding in Kerrville, Texas, is observed from a National Guard drone in this undated photo published to X on July 18, 2026. (Texas Military Department/X)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a Friday news conference in Uvalde said rescue operations were still ongoing. Emergency responders have rescued more than 570 people during the emergency. The governor said a major disaster declaration for the impacted counties is being sent to the president.
“Our primary focus right now and throughout the remainder of this torrential rain is saving lives,” Abbott said.
