KERR COUNTY, Texas (WOAI/KABB) — Catastrophic flash floods in Texas have killed two people and forced hundreds of rescues in areas still reeling from devastating floods a year ago, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday.
Rescuers aboard boats and helicopters have saved more than 200 people, including stranded drivers and people trapped in homes, Abbott said.
The governor said the hardest-hit areas are expecting more rain into Friday and are not out of danger yet, with some rivers expected to reach historic levels.
After days of pounding rain, the National Weather Service said a large wave on Thursday barreled down the same river wrecked by flash floods last summer when two dozen children and counselors died at Camp Mystic.
Much like last year, the floods came in the middle of the night. But this time some residents in the Texas Hill Country said they received more warnings.
Forecasters urgently warned, “Move to higher ground now!” as rivers rose hour by hour. Some spots of the Guadalupe River rose by more than 30 feet (9 meters).
The governor said more than 2,000 first responders had been deployed and some evacuations began before the worst of the flooding.
“What happened last year was a warning to people on or near rivers," Abbott said. “No one can be complacent.”
As much as 28 inches of rain fell over the past three days in Uvalde County, which was spared from the worst flooding a year ago, the weather service said Thursday. Other areas saw roughly a foot of rain.
Victims in Texas floods were swept away
The governor said one of the victims was driving on a flooded road and was swept away near Uvalde while the other died in Kerr County.
Jennie Steward said the body of her husband, 65-year-old John Mark Steward, of Kerrville, was found Thursday.
She was visiting her parents when a neighbor called overnight, saying her husband was missing after water had risen to the door of their mobile home, which stood off the ground.
The entire home was swept off the platform and floated down Goat Creek on the Guadalupe, she said.
“It’s really hard that I wasn’t there with him,” she said. The two last spoke by phone Wednesday to celebrate their third anniversary.
Hill Country residents say they were better prepared
The unfolding crisis brought back haunting memories of last summer's unimaginable Hill Country floods that killed more than 100 people over the July Fourth holiday.
“It’s crazy happening two times in one year,” said Josiah Rodriguez, who awoke to the sound of heavy rain around 2 a.m. Thursday in Kerrville. He navigated flooded roads to help evacuate relatives.
“Last year there was no warning of it,” he said. “It just kind of happened overnight and it took everyone by surprise. This year, a lot more alerts have gone into place, a lot more safety measures.”
Residents said they were caught off guard a year ago and didn’t receive any warning when floods overtopped the Guadalupe. Some local leaders were criticized for not acting quickly.
The storms and flooding this time threatened multiple counties close to the Mexico border and in the Hill Country near San Antonio. Roughly 6 million residents across Texas were under a flood watch this week, and many were expected to remain in effect into Friday.
Several agencies sent rescue helicopters to the flood zone, including Travis County in the state capital of Austin.
Uvalde residents isolated by floodwaters
Floodwaters also overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off most outside routes. The Leona River, normally dry most of the year, filled streets with water.
“People really can’t get anywhere,” said Carmen Rodriguez, who nervously watched water engulf her neighborhood as a helicopter roared overhead. “We have a place to go, but all the streets are closed.”
Rodriguez said authorities seemed to be prepared, ordering mandatory evacuations and notifying people directly.
After staying up most of the night, Casy Sanford and her husband felt like things were OK at their home in Uvalde as the downpour and heavy winds let up. Texas Game Wardens were outside their door just a few hours later, evacuating the couple, Sanford’s son and three daughters, her mother-in-law and two dogs by boat Thursday morning.
Sanford said she felt “mere shock” as they left most everything and closed the door behind them, water seeping into the ground floor of the only home her little girls have known.
“My little one was scared. She kept grabbing my hand real tight,” Sanford said of her 8-year-old. “I’m not sure what we’ll see when we get back.”
Sanford later said a neighbor had visited her family’s home and found water had climbed as high as their kitchen counters.
Texas Game Wardens rescued close to 150 people by the afternoon, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson. Video released by the agency showed crews hoisting children from a house surrounded with water into a helicopter.
Uvalde resident Jose Maldonado said water reached the first step to the entrance of his RV on Wednesday and rose above the door on Thursday. Floodwaters took down nearby walls, moved cars, flipped a trailer and left behind debris, he said.
He and his wife planned to stay with his parents until they could return to clean up.
Flooding hasn't reached last year's deadly high
So far, the Guadalupe has remained below the record levels reached in 2025. Close to Camp Mystic, which hasn't reopened since last year's tragedy, the Guadalupe near Hunt reached about 20.5 feet (6.3 meters), which is enough to cause flooding, according to U.S. Geological Survey and National Water Prediction Service data.
In Kerr County, where summer camps dot the river's shores, the sheriff’s office said all campers were safe. Several camps said the children were staying inside, with one camp reporting normal flooding.
While the water didn’t rise as high as a year ago in Ingram, Mayor Claud Jordan believes this round of flooding was more widespread in his city.
“There are a bunch of businesses that haven’t reopened from last year,” Jordan said. “This doesn’t help.”
The 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 filling the narrow river basins.
Evacuations & Shelters
As conditions rapidly deteriorated, the Buckhorn Lake Resort on Goat Creek Road near Interstate 10 and the Ingram RV Park began evacuating guests. A shelter and reunification center was established at Calvary Temple Church, 3000 Loop 534 in Kerrville.
Emergency officials also opened three shelters in Uvalde as widespread flooding and rising water along the Leona, Nueces and Frio rivers isolated parts of the city. Residents needing shelter can go to:
- Flores Elementary Campus, 901 N. Getty St.
- Dalton Elementary School, 600 N. Fourth St.
- Southwest Texas College, 2401 Garner Field Road.
Floodwaters also overwhelmed Uvalde overnight, trapping people in vehicles and cutting off access into the city. Texas Game Wardens rescued more than 40 people and evacuated about a dozen others, while local rescue crews used boats to reach stranded residents.
Road & Bridge Closures
Floodwaters have caused extensive damage to bridges and transportation infrastructure across Kerr County, leaving several crossings closed, washed out or heavily damaged:
- Sidney Baker Street Bridge: Closed after a recovery barge became lodged underneath the bridge.
- Anderson Ranch Bridge (Junction Highway): Washed out.
- Ingram Hills Road Bridge: Washed out.
- Henderson Branch Bridge (State Highway 173/Bandera Highway): Washed out.
- Main Street and Water Street bridges: Covered in debris after Town Creek overflowed.
- Highway 39 Bridge: Sustained significant washout damage and has been temporarily stabilized by TxDOT.
- 480 Bridge in Center Point: The Guadalupe River rose 3 to 4 feet in less than 45 minutes, leaving about 4 feet of water over the Highway 27 intersection.
Campers Safe
Meanwhile, officials with CAMP (Children's Association for Maximum Potential) said everyone at the camp is safe despite being temporarily cut off by floodwaters. Skyline Drive flooded after a storm surge upstream, but officials said the main camp sits more than 80 feet above the Guadalupe River and all cabins remain dry.
Campers and staff are sheltering in place with power, backup generators, food and essential supplies while remaining in contact with emergency management officials.
Disaster Declaration
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly signed a local disaster declaration and formally requested assistance from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as catastrophic flooding continued to impact the county.
A disaster declaration allows local governments to quickly access additional emergency resources, coordinate state assistance and seek reimbursement for emergency response costs.
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