The statewide death toll from the catastrophic flooding in Central Texas earlier this month has risen to 135 and dozens more remain missing, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday. Abbott provided an update on the Texas floods during a news conference while in San Angelo,

Austin sits within "Flash Flood Alley," a region that has claimed many lives over the decades. The July 4 weekend floods were the deadliest in the area since the Highland Lakes were constructed in the 1930s.

A National Weather Service flood watch forecasting heavy downpours of up to half a foot of rain was posted until Tuesday morning for a wide swath of central Texas extending from the Rio Grande east to San Antonio and Austin.