Storms soak Rio Grande Valley as rainfall totals shatter centuries old record amid severe storms

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (KTRK) -- On Thursday and Friday, parts of the Rio Grand Valley saw a half-year's worth of rainfall as intense thunderstorms blew through, leaving behind flooded and clogged roads and forcing several water rescues.

Fire officials confirmed over 50 high-water rescues in the Alamo after about a foot of rain fell on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: ABC13 Weather Watch: Tornado Watch in effect east of Houston until 7 p.m.

Along the US-Mexico border, where Hidalgo and Cameron counties sit, the brunt of the storms in South Texas lasted for nearly 48 hours.

Four flash flood emergencies were issued Thursday night into early Friday morning in those counties as the National Weather Service warned of life-threatening flash flooding.

Portions of Interstate 2 in Hidalgo County were underwater, and abandoned vehicles lined the roadway on Friday.

In Harlingen, Brownsville, and McAllen, Texas, some rainfall totals exceeded records that go back more than a century. McAllen, Hidalgo County's largest city, was drenched with eight inches of rainfall on Thursday evening.

According to the NWS, 18 and 21 inches of rain gushed over parts of the city, with most falling on Thursday alone.

Harlingen typically gets about 24 inches of rain in a year.

The rain ended Friday morning before moving towards Louisiana and eastern Texas.