Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a letter Wednesday morning instructing flags on state property to immediately be lowered statewide.

Max Chesnes is the Tampa Bay Times' environment and climate reporter, covering public lands, water quality, wildlife and everything in between. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram @MaxChesnes. Anyone can view a sampling of recent comments, but you must be a Times subscriber to contribute. Log in above or subscribe here.

The Fourth of July flooding had an outsized effect not just on the Hill Country but also on rain-starved Texas cities like San Antonio and Austin.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller dismissed conspiracy theories linking his agency to cloud seeding, saying it hasn't been involved in weather modification since 2011.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a moment of silence Thursday honoring the victims of the recent floods in Central Texas.

In what experts call "Flash Flood Alley," the terrain reacts quickly to rainfall steep slopes, rocky ground, and narrow riverbeds leave little time for warning.