Dangerous flooding in Texas has intensified after days of pounding rain, prompting emergency crews to rescue people from rising waters and triggering urgent warnings from forecasters to seek higher ground.
The National Weather Service in San Antonio described a "large and deadly flood wave" barreling down the same river that saw devastating floods a year ago, which resulted in the deaths of two dozen children and counselors at Camp Mystic.
Dangerous conditions threatened multiple counties near the Mexican border and in the Texas Hill Country. City officials in Kerrville urged residents to shelter on the highest floors of their homes, and floodwaters overran the city of Uvalde overnight into Thursday, cutting off access to surrounding areas.
"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 confirmed that multiple people trapped in vehicles were being rescued and that communication with emergency dispatch allowed crews to reach them quickly. Uvalde officials deployed boats for rescue operations and planned to use helicopters after daybreak. Texas Game Wardens reported rescuing over 40 people from the flooding, primarily in the Uvalde County area.
Weather officials stated that 10 to 20 inches of rain had fallen in the past two days, with 8 inches recorded in just two hours early Thursday. Some areas received nearly a foot of rain, and flood watches were in effect for multiple counties. These watches were expected to continue through Friday evening for some regions.
Forecasters warned that conditions were likely to worsen in hard-hit communities. The floodwaters were anticipated to crest at levels similar to the catastrophic river flood of July 4, 2025. Near Camp Mystic, the Guadalupe River at Hunt reached approximately 20.5 feet, just shy of the level that would inundate structures and roads. This was significantly lower than the deadly flood level of 37.5 feet recorded last year.
One gauge less than 10 miles from Kerrville showed the river rising 32 feet in four hours. Downriver near Center Point, the Guadalupe River rose over 30 feet between midnight and 4 a.m. Thursday. Similar rapid rises were recorded near Comfort, where the river increased by nearly 29 feet in less than two hours.
By Wednesday, Uvalde police had issued mandatory evacuations for some areas and urged others to remain vigilant. Residents living along the Leona River were seen packing their cars to leave, with some unsure of their destination. Many described brown water creating large rapids in the typically calm river, which had begun encroaching on neighborhoods by Wednesday afternoon.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties. As of Wednesday evening, over six million residents in 57 counties were under a National Weather Service flood watch. Uvalde County, which typically receives about 23 inches of rain annually, has seen some of the highest rainfall totals in this event.