Severe Flooding Strikes Southcentral Texas, Worsening Conditions from Last Year
Central Texas finds itself grappling with intense flooding once again, just a year after a tragic disaster claimed over 130 lives. The current deluge has already resulted in at least one confirmed death, Texas Governor Greg Abbott reported. Rescue operations are in full swing, with more than 80 rescues executed and a deployment of 1,300 responders equipped with 46 boats, as stated by the governor’s office on Thursday.
The flood alerts extend across a vast area, stretching from Kerrville southward to Uvalde and continuing to Laredo. Uvalde County, in particular, has witnessed roads and fields submerged under muddy floodwaters, with some areas seeing water levels rise to near rooftop heights, detailed in a video by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Communities already hit by floods on Wednesday are now facing renewed threats. The National Weather Service in San Antonio and Austin warned of continued risk as storms develop over already affected areas.
Local NPR stations report that some residents are experiencing worse flooding than the July 2025 events. In Kerrville, authorities noted a temporary receding of high waters, but the danger persists with numerous roads and bridges still closed. The police have urged the public to refrain from sightseeing, emphasizing, “There is a lot of people driving around to take a look and that is not helpful.”
Evacuations are underway, with at least one summer camp being cleared as state officials acknowledge improvements in safety responses, aided by increased disaster resources for warnings and flood control. The Guadalupe River’s rapid rise near Comfort, Texas, is a stark indicator of the situation’s severity, having surged from 5.46 feet to 37.05 feet within three hours, as per the U.S. Geological Survey.
In Comfort, flood sirens sounded as floodwaters swept away vehicles, prompting the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department to urge residents to stay indoors. A video shared showed turbulent waters rushing through residential neighborhoods, with warnings of continued flooding due to upstream runoff.
Governor Abbott highlighted the potential for record-breaking rainfall, comparing it to the previous year’s Fourth of July floods, which saw 20.29 inches of rain. The current storm is expected to exceed 30 inches, according to a report from the Texas Newsroom.
Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, remains closed following last year’s tragedy where 25 campers and two counselors were swept away by the Guadalupe River. With more heavy rain forecast for the Texas Hill Country, the storm is anticipated to progress westward towards the Big Bend region by Friday, as projected by the National Weather Service.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
