Catastrophic flooding triggered by days of relentless rainfall has swept across parts of Texas, forcing emergency crews to rescue dozens of people from rapidly rising floodwaters while many others fled to higher ground in a region still recovering from devastating floods just a year ago.
The Texas Hill Country floods over the July Fourth holiday last year killed more than 100 people.
The National Weather Service in San Antonio said a “large and deadly flood wave” was barreling down the same river wrecked by floods last summer when two dozen children and counselors were killed at Camp Mystic.
Forecasters urgently warned people to “Move to higher ground now!” as rivers rose hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. The storms and flooding threatened multiple counties close to the border with Mexico and in the Texas Hill Country near San Antonio. City officials in Kerrville urged people to shelter at the highest levels of their homes.
The floodwaters were expected to reach a crest similar to last year’s flood, the weather service said.Gauges in some spots along the Guadalupe River showed it rose by more than 30 feet (9 meters) in a matter of hours overnight Thursday. One gauge outside of Kerrville showed the river had risen 32 feet (9.7 meters) in four hours. Close to Camp Mystic, which remains shut down, the Guadalupe River near Hunt reached about 20.5 feet (6.3 meters), according to a U.S. Geological Survey gauge, which is just under the level expected to inundate structures and road
Yesterday, Uvalde police had ordered mandatory evacuations for some parts, with first responders notifying people affected directly. Others were asked to stay vigilant in case more evacuations are needed.
Floodwaters overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off outside access. “There’s no way into the city at this point in time. Rescues have been happening overnight,” said Juli Alvarado, a spokesperson for Uvalde police. She stated that multiple people trapped in vehicles were being rescued. “The good thing is they’re communicating with our emergency dispatch center and we’re getting crews to them quickly,” she said.
Alvarado said that Uvalde officials were deploying boats for rescue operations and planned to fly helicopters. Phones buzzed with warnings throughout the night, warning of flash flooding in the morning.
Texas Game Wardens rescued more than 40 people, mostly in the Uvalde County area, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson.
Flash Flood Emergencies Ongoing
Flash flood emergencies are ongoing as “large and deadly” flood waves surge down the Guadalupe and Pedernales rivers in the same areas of Texas Hill Country devastated by a similar flood wave last July.
A flash flood emergency, the highest level of warning, has been issued for all of Uvalde County, Texas, until 4:15 p.m. CT. “This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!” the National Weather Service said. This expands upon a flash flood emergency issued earlier this morning for a smaller part of the county, which includes the towns of Uvalde and Knippa.
Flood emergency warning was also issued for people in Gillespie County along the Pedernales River, and a disaster declaration has been issued in Kerr County, where officials have requested outside assistance to respond to the flooding.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly signed a disaster declaration in Kerr County where floodwater has entered homes and schools and damaged roads and sewer systems. “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capability of Kerr County to control,” Kelly wrote in a letter addressed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“I am requesting that you declare a state of emergency for Kerr Count (sic) and issue appropriate directives to deal with the emergency.”
Judge Rob Kelly
The Texas Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before quickly filling the narrow river basins.
The weather service said 10 to 20 inches of rain (25 to 50 centimeters) had fallen in the past two days, with 8 inches (20 centimeters) in just two hours early today. The deluge dumped nearly a foot of rain in some counties and put people in multiple counties under flood watches, with some were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties. As of late Wednesday, six million residents in 57 counties were under a National Weather Service flood watch.
