Why Texas is called flash flood alley SHARE Flooding is the number one weather-related cause of death in Texas, and you can partially blame our state's geography and terrain for it. What You Need To Know Texas is often called 'flash flood alley' From 2013-2016 Texas had seven federally declared disasters because of flooding Most flood events happen in the fall or spring Austin lies in the heart of 'flash flood alley', where there is a higher potential for flooding than in any other region of the U.S. Central Texas has rocky, clay-rich soil and steep terrain that makes this area uniquely vulnerable to major flooding.