Flood watches across Texas and Oklahoma; FY27 starts on a CR

THE EMN DAILY NEWS | Thursday, 1 October 2026

The Overview

Flood watches across Texas and Oklahoma; FY27 starts on a CR

Flood watches cover southern Oklahoma and much of north and central Texas today as the remnants of Hurricane Polo move across the region, with flash flood warnings overnight around Wichita Falls and a watch running through Friday evening over the Hill Country counties still in Public Assistance recovery from the July floods. Fiscal year 2027 opens on a continuing resolution that runs through December 11, holding agencies at fiscal 2026 levels and permitting up to $26.37 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund. The national preparedness level holds at 2 with 58 incidents and 4,826 personnel, down 574 in a day, with no new large fires. Year-to-date fire counts were adjusted sharply upward to 62,218, moving the season from 124 to 134 percent of the ten-year average. Dome in Yosemite National Park reached 39 percent contained as a second California team mobilizes.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Oklahoma and north Texas: The Norman forecast office holds a flood watch until 1 p.m. today for 25 Oklahoma counties and five northern Texas counties, with 2 to 4 inches likely and local amounts to 6 inches. Flash flood warnings ran overnight for Wichita Falls, Burkburnett, Iowa Park and Sheppard Air Force Base after 1 to 3 inches fell in short order.

Central Texas: The Fort Worth office carries a flood watch through Friday morning across north central Texas, including Dallas, Denton, Collin and McLennan counties, with 2 to 3 inches widespread and localized totals to 5 inches. The Austin and San Antonio office holds a watch until 7 p.m. Friday for Hill Country counties including Kerr, Bandera, Uvalde, Real, Edwards, Gillespie and Kendall, all of which carry open Public Assistance from the July declaration.

Fiscal year: Agencies begin fiscal 2027 under the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, signed September 2, which funds the government through December 11 at prior-year levels. The measure permits up to $26.37 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund, with obligations charged against fiscal 2027 appropriations rather than treated as supplemental. Under a continuing resolution, agencies cannot start programs, projects or activities that were not already funded and active, which constrains new grant starts until a full-year bill passes.

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