Posted Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Updated with the National Weather Service's 4:40 a.m. Flood Watch.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has a Flood Watch out for our part of North Texas. It starts at 4 p.m. today and runs until 7 a.m. Friday. The Service says to expect widespread rain of 2 to 4 inches across the watch area, with localized totals of 5 to 7 inches possible. Its forecast discussion points to the heaviest rain tonight through early Thursday, with more storms on Friday.
A watch means flooding is possible. A Flood Warning or Flash Flood Warning means it's happening or about to, so if one goes out for your neighborhood, act on it right then. The Service also reminds people that flash flooding can escalate quickly, so it's worth having more than one way to get alerts.
Why this one is worth a few minutes today
It has been dry here for a long stretch. The Service's Fort Worth office reported in its September 15 drought statement that much of the area had gone about 60 days without significant rain. Ground that hard and dry doesn't take in water quickly at first, so a lot of it runs off yards toward the street, the driveway and your foundation. Storm drains and low-water crossings fill fast, and that can put water in places that have never had a problem before. When the water comes from outside, it usually finds the low side of the house first. Our storm damage restoration page covers what we do when it does.
Storms this afternoon and evening could also get strong, mostly along and west of US-281. The Service says damaging wind is the main concern, with isolated large hail possible. A few roof, fence and tree problems are likely to come along with the rain, and if you're wondering what a hail and wind roof inspection covers, we wrote that up too. If a limb comes through a window or the roof opens up, our emergency board-up service covers the opening until it can be fixed properly.
Do this today, while it's still dry
Start outside. Clear the gutters and downspouts, and pull the downspout extensions out so water lands a few feet from the house. Then walk the yard and look for low spots where water will collect against the slab.
Inside, find your main water shutoff and your breaker panel, and make sure everyone in the house knows where both are. It's a lot harder to find them for the first time with water on the floor.
Get things up off the floor in the garage, the closets and any lower level. Electronics, paper files, photo albums, rugs, anything that would be ruined by an inch of water. Even a few inches of height helps.
Take photos or a slow phone video of every room, plus the roofline and the outside of the house, before anything happens. If you ever need to show what the house looked like, you'll have it. It takes ten minutes and it's worth having.
Charge your phones, put a flashlight where you can find it, and check that your phone's emergency alerts are turned on. Ready.gov has a short page on getting ready for a power outage if the lights go out. If you use a generator, the EPA's flooding guidance is blunt about it: generator exhaust is toxic, so run it outside and well away from doors, windows and vents, never in a home, garage or crawlspace.
While it's raining
Stay out of floodwater, indoors or out. You can't see what's under it, and it can carry current from outlets and cords.
Don't drive through water on the road. The Service's Turn Around, Don't Drown page says 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock an adult off their feet, 12 inches can carry away most cars, and 2 feet can carry away SUVs and trucks. It also says never to drive around barriers blocking a flooded road, because the road under that water may have collapsed. Ready.gov's flood guidance says the same: don't walk, swim or drive through flood waters, and if you're told to evacuate, go.
If water starts coming in, get people and pets to higher, dry ground first. Then move what you can, and stop. Don't go up on the roof or into the attic to hunt for a leak. Set out buckets and towels if it's safe, and write down where and when the water showed up.
If water is near outlets, appliances or the panel, stay back. Shut off power to that area only if you can reach the panel while standing on dry ground. If you can't, call your utility or a licensed electrician.
After it stops
Wait until it's safe to go back in. Look for downed lines and damaged trees before you walk around outside, and stay away from anything that could be live.
Photograph everything before you move or throw it out: water lines on walls, wet ceilings, floors, damaged belongings, and the outside of the house. If a pipe or fixture is leaking, shut the water off at the main.
Then get the water out and get air moving. Pull up soaked rugs, prop furniture on blocks or foil, open cabinet doors and run fans. Open windows only when the air outside is drier than the air inside. Don't run a household vacuum on water, and never plug anything in while you're standing in water. Ready.gov also recommends heavy work gloves, protective clothing and boots for cleanup.
One warning about floodwater specifically. Water that came in from the street, a yard or a backed-up drain isn't clean, and it can carry things you don't want soaked into your floors and walls. If it came in from outside or from a drain, read our page on sewage and Category 3 water and our guide to what a sewage backup cleanup involves before you start pulling things out yourself.
The part people underestimate is what's behind the surface. Wet drywall, insulation, padding and subfloor stay wet long after the floor looks fine, and the first day or two matter most. A pro with moisture meters and a thermal camera can tell you what's actually wet and what isn't, so you aren't guessing. Our drying process is built around exactly that: measure, dry, and measure again until the readings say it's done. If you want to see what that looks like at scale, here's a commercial flood we dried in Dallas's Design District.
For the first hours at home, our first night after water damage guide walks through what to do and what to leave alone.
Questions we get
Can I get water in the house if I don't live near a creek?
Yes. Heavy rain over dry ground can overwhelm drains and pool in streets, yards and low corners. The Service's watch language covers rivers, creeks and streams, but also "low-lying and flood-prone locations" in general, and that includes a lot of ordinary neighborhoods.
Should I shut off the power if water gets in?
Only if you can get to the panel without stepping in water. If you can't, stay out of the room and call your utility or an electrician.
How long can wet materials sit?
There isn't one clean answer, but sooner is always better. Waiting a few days on wet drywall, padding or flooring makes the job bigger. Our storm damage restoration page explains how we handle it.
Can I dry it myself?
For a small spill on a hard floor, usually yes. For water in walls, under floors or in more than one room, fans and a mop won't get it dry, and you won't know what's still wet without readings. If your family is staying in the house, here's how drying works in an occupied home.
Do you work outside Fort Worth?
Yes. We serve Fort Worth and Dallas and the surrounding area.
If water does get in
Call us at 817-632-2522. We'll tell you what we see, what has to happen first, and what can wait. More on how an emergency call works is on our emergency page. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911 first.
For the latest forecast and any warnings, check the National Weather Service in Fort Worth at weather.gov/fwd. The Flood Watch details in this post come from the Service's alert issued at 4:40 a.m. on September 30 and can change, so check there before you head out.
Sources
- National Weather Service Fort Worth/Dallas, forecast office page and hazardous weather outlook: https://www.weather.gov/fwd
- National Weather Service, Flood Watch for North and Central Texas, issued 4:40 a.m. CDT, September 30, 2026 (in effect 4 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Friday CDT): https://www.weather.gov/fwd
- National Weather Service Fort Worth, Area Forecast Discussion, issued 2:35 a.m. CDT, September 30, 2026: https://api.weather.gov/products/dd9ee09a-7441-4f72-a166-0f55fde99b09
- National Weather Service Fort Worth, Drought Information Statement, September 15, 2026: https://www.weather.gov/media/fwd/DGT/DGT_FWD_09152026.pdf
- National Weather Service, Turn Around Don't Drown: https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood-turn-around-dont-drown
- National Weather Service, Flood Safety: https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
- Ready.gov, Floods: https://www.ready.gov/floods
- Ready.gov, Power Outages: https://www.ready.gov/power-outages
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Flooding (generator and carbon monoxide safety): https://www.epa.gov/natural-disasters/flooding
This post is general safety information, not a substitute for instructions from local emergency officials or the National Weather Service. PRC is not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA, the National Weather Service, Ready.gov or the EPA.