Weather officials declare state of emergency over rapid flooding in Texas
Weather officials on July 15 warned of life-threatening flash flooding in parts of south-central Texas.
Catastrophic flooding has struck the Texas Hill Country, killing at least two people, more than a year after rain caused the Guadalupe River to overflow and cause flooding that killed more than 130 people.
“Extreme rainfall” over the past few days has totaled nearly 2 feet in some parts of the Texas Hill Country, according to a National Weather Prediction Center tally. Leakey, Texas has lost 23.37 inches since Monday afternoon. One recording station in Kerrville that was hit by a storm in July 2025 received 20.71 inches of rain.
Gov. Greg Abbott said on July 16 that most of the rain was concentrated in Uvalde, Kinney, Bandera, Kerr and Gillespie counties, with widespread rainfall ranging from 6 to 13 inches. More heavy rain is expected on July 17 as the weather pattern moves slowly, the National Weather Service announced.
The rain caused rivers like the Guadalupe, Nueces, and Frio rivers to once again swell near or above record levels. The Nueces River near Uvalde reached a record level of 28.01 feet on July 16, breaking the previous record of 24.88 feet set in 1996, according to preliminary data. Abbott said the Nueces River is expected to reach twice the flow rate of Niagara Falls.
Photos from Kerrville show water from the Guadalupe River covering roads and fallen trees. Video shared by a Texas game warden showed the vehicle submerged and swept away by water. Abbott said hundreds of water rescues have been carried out so far.
“We are facing record rainfall, leading to extremely dangerous flooding. We want to do everything we can to protect all lives,” Abbott said.
Abbott said on July 16 that 59 counties in Texas were under flood watches.
2 people killed in Texas floods
Mr Abbott confirmed on July 16 that at least two people were reported killed in the flooding.
He said a man near Comfort died after being swept away by an RV. Abbott said the Uvalde woman was swept away by floodwaters while driving on the road. The governor did not reveal the identity or age of the victim.
Jenny Steward told The Associated Press that one of the victims was her husband, 65-year-old John Mark Steward of Kerrville. She was out visiting her parents when she heard from a neighbor that her mobile home had been washed away.
“I’m really disappointed that I wasn’t with him,” she told The Associated Press, adding that they had just celebrated their third anniversary.
Mr Abbott said more than 230 water rescues had been carried out since the flooding began. He said 2,350 emergency responders were responding to the floods and about 1,400 vehicles, including helicopters, rescue boats and large vehicles, were deployed.
Game wardens in Texas said they have been involved in rescues from homes, submerged vehicles and vehicles swept off roads. They shared video of responders carrying a small child wearing a life jacket and snorkel goggles through floodwaters and onto a waiting boat. Another video showed a helicopter rescue.
Authorities urged residents not to drive on roads covered in water.
Floods occur one year after Texas tragedy
Exactly one year ago, flooding during the night and early morning hours of July 4, 2025, caused the Guadalupe River to flow into surrounding areas, killing more than 130 people, including 28 at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp.
Mr Abbott said that although the water behaved differently along the riverside campground, lessons learned from that flooding incident helped prevent further catastrophe this time. Mr Abbott said more than 80 people were removed from the campsite early on.
He said a flood warning system installed after the 2025 floods had been activated.
