DEADLY FLOOD WAVE SURGES DOWN GUADALUPE RIVER AS FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY DECLARED IN KERRVILLE AREA
Catastrophic flooding grips Texas Hill Country communities Thursday as the Guadalupe River rises at a terrifying pace, triggering emergency declarations, water rescues and shelter in place orders less than a year after the region suffered one of its deadliest flood disasters in modern history.
KERRVILLE, Texas — A menacing wall of water is barreling down the Guadalupe River through the Texas Hill Country Thursday morning, sending emergency officials scrambling and forcing residents across Kerr and Kendall counties to flee to higher ground as one of the most dangerous flood events in recent memory unfolds in real time.
,The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency, the highest level of flood warning available, affecting more than 6,000 people along the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr and Kendall counties, with the alert in effect until 11:30 a.m. Thursday., The declaration sent shockwaves through communities that are still healing from last year’s catastrophic losses.
,Federal forecasters described the threat in stark terms, warning that “a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River” and that the river is expected to reach a crest comparable to the devastating July 4, 2025 flood event., That comparison alone was enough to trigger widespread panic and urgent action across the region.
The numbers behind Thursday’s crisis are staggering. ,The Guadalupe River in Comfort rose 16 feet in just 30 minutes, according to the National Weather Service, as the deadly flood wave moved downstream., ,A river gauge at Center Point, located between Kerrville and Comfort, recorded a rise of 32 feet over four hours, and the river is predicted to crest at a major flood stage of 35.6 feet in Comfort later Thursday morning.,
,In Kerrville itself, the Guadalupe River had already reached 13 feet before dawn and was forecast to crest at 20.4 feet, a level the National Weather Service said threatens structures near the river and makes evacuations likely in flood-prone areas.,
The emergency declaration covers a wide stretch of Hill Country communities. ,The Flash Flood Emergency encompasses Center Point, Comfort, Kerrville and Sisterdale, all areas that were devastated by last year’s deadly Fourth of July floods that killed more than 100 people along the Guadalupe River.,
Overnight, the situation escalated rapidly as torrential rain poured into an already saturated landscape. ,A series of slow-moving thunderstorms continued to track across Kerr County early Thursday, producing torrential rainfall. According to the National Weather Service, three to six inches of rain had already fallen in the area, with an additional two to four inches expected within the next few hours.,
,The emergencies followed a series of Flash Flood Warnings issued overnight across Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie, Real and Uvalde counties as repeated rounds of thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain across the western Hill Country and southern Edwards Plateau, with some locations already receiving three to twelve inches of rain over the previous two days.,
On the ground, the situation turned chaotic quickly. ,A dangerous flood emergency unfolded across Kerr County early Thursday as rapidly rising water along the Guadalupe River prompted evacuations, water rescues and widespread road closures., ,At least six major water rescue calls had been reported by approximately 2:30 a.m., including one involving a mother and child trapped near Indian Creek Road in Ingram, though firefighters were initially unable to reach them because floodwaters had cut off access.,
,Fire departments from Ingram and Kerrville, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety, sheriff’s deputies and other emergency agencies, called in additional personnel as rescue requests mounted., ,The United Cajun Navy also reported that multiple water rescues were underway as first responders took advantage of a brief break in the heaviest rainfall.,
,Emergency officials warned of a large wall of water moving down Harper Road, according to the Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department. As conditions deteriorated, the Buckhorn Lake Resort on Goat Creek Road near Interstate 10 and the Ingram RV Park began evacuating guests.,
Transportation across the county became nearly impossible. ,The Texas Department of Transportation shut down Texas Highway 39 from Ingram to US-83 as street flooding was reported across Ingram, while Interstate 10 West was also closed near State Highway 41 following a major crash., ,Flooding also made the road between Kerrville and Hunt impassable, preventing emergency crews from reaching some stranded residents.,
,The City of Kerrville urged residents to shelter in place immediately as the Flash Flood Warning remained in effect, advising everyone to move to the highest safe level of their home and avoid all unnecessary travel through flooded areas., ,A shelter and reunification center was established at Calvary Temple Church at 3000 Loop 534 in Kerrville, for those who were displaced or unable to safely remain in their homes.
,The National Weather Service upgraded the Flash Flood Emergency for central Kerr County at 3 a.m., calling the situation a “particularly dangerous situation” and urging residents to “seek higher ground now.”, ,Officials confirmed that flash flooding was already occurring with evacuations, escalating water rescues and water beginning to enter structures, with rises expected along the Guadalupe River. The agency advised people to move to higher ground and avoid travel unless evacuating.,
,The National Weather Service first issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Kerrville, Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville-Schreiner Park and Waltonia, before later issuing a separate Flash Flood Emergency for Uvalde, Uvalde Estates and Knippa.,
,Relentless rain, currently up to 20 inches in some areas, has led to dozens of water rescues across the region and is causing waterways to rise rapidly, with about half a year’s worth of rain already having fallen in Uvalde County alone.,
Thursday’s crisis is unfolding against the painful backdrop of last summer’s disaster. ,The areas of Kerr County now under emergency declarations were among the most severely hit by last year’s devastating floods that swept through the Hill Country, killing at least 120 people, including more than 35 children at Camp Mystic., ,The impacts are being felt in a region still scarred by those floods, which left more than 130 dead.,
,The Texas Hill Country sits inside what meteorologists call Flash Flood Alley, a corridor stretching from Del Rio to Dallas where thin limestone soils and steep terrain funnel rainwater quickly into creeks and rivers, producing dangerous rises with little warning., ,The Guadalupe River, which runs through Kerrville, can rise tens of feet within hours during major storms.,
State officials have attempted to project readiness ahead of the crisis. ,Governor Greg Abbott noted that sirens have been set up alongside the Guadalupe River as well as other river basins across Texas, stating that the state is “better prepared than we have ever been to deal with weather events in general, but rainfall events and flooding events in particular.”,
,A rare Level 4 of 4 high risk for flooding rain is in place for a second consecutive day as repeated storms threaten locally catastrophic flooding, across the broader region, underscoring just how prolonged and dangerous this weather event has become.
Residents, campers, hikers and anyone near waterways are being urged in the strongest possible terms to move to safer locations immediately. Emergency officials are reminding everyone not to attempt to drive through flooded roadways or low-water crossings. ,Emergency managers warned people not to wait until floodwaters reached their homes before evacuating and advised everyone to stay away from flooded roads, low-water crossings and river access points.,
Conditions remain extremely fluid and dangerous. Residents in Kerr and Kendall counties are urged to monitor the National Weather Service and local emergency management channels for the latest updates as this life-threatening situation continues to develop.