Abbott spoke from the State Operations Center alongside state emergency management and public safety officials, laying out preparations for increased rainfall and potential flooding statewide. The briefing comes as severe thunderstorms bear down on multiple regions, including the South Plains.
KCBD's weather team has already declared Tuesday and Wednesday First Alert Weather Days for the area. That designation typically means forecasters expect weather serious enough to disrupt normal routines, not just a passing shower.
For folks in Lubbock, the state-level briefing matters because it shows officials are treating this system as a broader threat, not just a local nuisance. When emergency management gets involved at the state level, it usually means the potential for flooding and storm damage stretches well beyond one city or county. Watch for updates on road conditions and drainage trouble spots as the storms move through.
Two days, one governor, and a statewide alert all point to the same thing: this isn't a normal Tuesday and Wednesday on the South Plains.