Devastating Texas floods leave at least 2 dead, hundreds rescued

At least two people died as dangerous flooding swept across parts of Central and South Texas on Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott said.

Earlier Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for portions of Kerr and Kendall counties, including Kerrville, Center Point and Comfort, after slow-moving thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain across the region overnight

A rapidly rising Guadalupe River sent what the weather service described as a “large and deadly flood wave” downstream. 

See Thursday’s live updates below:

A flood watch remains in effect through Friday morning for much of the Hill Country and portions of South Texas as additional rounds of heavy rain could worsen dangerous conditions.

The watch includes Bandera, Blanco, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, Medina, Real and Uvalde counties, where 2 to 4 inches of rain is possible, with isolated totals of up to 8 inches.

Forecasters warned that there is potential for life-threatening flooding and catastrophic impacts are possible downstream of the heaviest rains. Residents should monitor forecasts and be prepared to move to higher ground if warnings are issued.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

The Lower Colorado River Authority plans to open additional floodgates Thursday night at Wirtz Dam on Lake LBJ and Starcke Dam on Lake Marble Falls as storm runoff continues moving through the Highland Lakes.

One floodgate was open at Wirtz Dam on Thursday evening, while multiple gates were already open at Starcke Dam to pass storm runoff downstream. LCRA urged people who could be affected by the releases to take precautions to protect themselves and their property.

The agency projects Lake Travis will rise to between 680 and 681 feet above mean sea level through Friday. Additional inflows could push the lake into its flood pool.

— Mary Wasson, Newsroom Meteorologist

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Gov. Greg Abbott’s corrected statement identifying the second flood victim as a man.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Thursday that at least two people have died in flooding that has devastated parts of Central and South Texas.

Speaking at two separate Thursday news conferences, Abbott announced the first death but said the victim was not a camper. He did not provide additional details, saying only that the person died downstream of Kerrville, between Kerrville and Comfort, along the Guadalupe River.

Later Thursday, Abbott confirmed a second death in Uvalde. He initially said a woman had been swept away by floodwaters before correcting himself to say the victim was a man.

Uvalde officials said in a Thursday afternoon news release that a 74-year-old man was swept away in his vehicle around 10:30 a.m. north of Uvalde near the intersection of U.S. Highway 83 North and County Road 400. Uvalde officials said the man, whose family lives out of state, “had eluded law enforcement’s warnings not to proceed up the roadway.” Officials did not identify the man.

The San Antonio Express-News reported that Kerrville resident John Mark Steward, 65, died early Thursday after rising floodwaters swept away his mobile home, according to his wife.

It remains unclear whether Steward is the person Abbott referenced when announcing the first death. Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Abbott also said more than 230 people had been rescued from floodwaters and that 87 roadways were closed as of Thursday afternoon.

— Faith Bugenhagen, Breaking and Trending Reporter

Game wardens with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have deployed across Texas to assist with flood recovery and rescue efforts, the agency said Thursday.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, game wardens had responded in Uvalde, Medina, Kerr, Bandera, Real, Val Verde, Kimble and Comal counties, where they assisted in 147 rescues and 83 evacuations. The agency said five animals also had been evacuated.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, wardens have responded to calls involving residents stranded in flooded homes and vehicles that were submerged or swept away by floodwaters. Rescue operations have been carried out by boat, vehicle and helicopter.

Meanwhile, Kerrville officials said Thursday afternoon that no deaths or missing people had been reported within the city limits, though crews were continuing to assess damage after conducting more than 50 evacuations from homes and apartment complexes.

Police Chief Jerel Haley said many additional rescues involved motorists who drove into flooded areas and became stranded in their vehicles. Several bridges remained closed pending inspections, and officials said they would not be able to fully assess the damage until floodwaters recede.

Haley said the renewed flooding has been devastating for residents and first responders still recovering from last year’s disaster.

“I myself today had someone in my arms crying tears out of fear and sadness,” Haley said.

The Guadalupe River remained at flood stage Thursday afternoon, though flooding had receded across much of Kerrville, Haley said. The city and Kerr County have issued disaster declarations and requested state and federal assistance.

Kerrville’s surface water treatment plant remained offline because of river conditions and a power outage, Public Works Director David Barrera said. The city switched to groundwater wells and was maintaining water pressure. No boil-water notice had been issued, and officials said none was anticipated. Crews also were addressing flood-related wastewater issues and clearing debris where conditions allowed.

Haley said Kerrville’s emergency operations center was activated shortly after 2 a.m. Officials monitored conditions overnight using the Upper Guadalupe River Authority’s warning system, which he called “invaluable.”

“Make no mistake: Having accurate warnings in time saved lives today,” Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said.

Officials urged residents to stay home when possible, avoid low-water crossings and rely on verified sources for emergency information. Another briefing with Kerr County officials is expected Friday.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor, and Dante Motley, Breaking News Reporter

This has been a historic rainfall event for Texas. Since Sunday, some locations in Central and South Texas have measured more than 24 inches of rain, with more than a dozen spots surpassing 12 inches as repeated storms continued to dump heavy rainfall across the region.

Here are the highest rain totals:

• 24.38” – Ingram
• 23.37” – Leakey
• 21.84” – Knippa
• 19.54” – Kerrville
• 18.22” – Concan
• 16.71” – Harper
• 16.07” – Utopia
• 15.29” – Kickapoo Caverns State Park
• 14.80” – Boerne
• 13.63” – DHanis
• 12.79” – Hunt
• 12.40” – Fredericksburg
• 12.37” – Brackettville
• 11.19” – Bandera
• 10.45” – Bulverde
• 10.22” – Bergheim
• 10.05” – Sabinol

Rain continues to fall across parts of the western Hill Country, but it is becoming much lighter through the afternoon and early evening. The Flood Watch has been canceled for the Interstate 35 corridor but has been extended through noon Friday for the Hill Country.

— Mary Wasson, Newsroom Meteorologist

Austin Pets Alive! said that, as of 1 p.m. Thursday, it had taken in 47 dogs and 30 cats from Kendall County, along with 25 cats from Boerne Animal Care Services. The rescue said it is coordinating with Kerrville Pets Alive, which also requested assistance.

“The three team members that went to the Hondo/Uvalde area last night are working to determine how we can get to animals flooded in the Uvalde area who need our help,” APA said in a Facebook post. “They’ve created a flyer with a QR code that offers a form to report lost, missing or pets left behind so they can be reunited with their families. Our teams are deploying more transport vans, medical staff and emergency supplies to evacuate shelter pets to safety, creating critical space for emergency response.”

APA is urging Austin-area residents to foster displaced animals. Potential fosters can visit its Cesar Chavez shelter from noon to 6 p.m. to be matched with a pet needing temporary housing.

The rescue also is seeking volunteers to assist with animal transport, intake, laundry, cleaning and sorting supplies. Volunteers can report to the Cesar Chavez location between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

The Pedernales River at Fredericksburg reached major flood stage after cresting at 34.23 feet around 10 a.m. The river is now steadily falling and is expected to drop below flood stage by 6 p.m. Thursday.

Farther downstream, the Pedernales River at Johnson City is nearing 11 feet and continues to rise rapidly. Forecasters expect the river to crest near 21 feet by 8 p.m. Thursday before dropping below flood stage around 7 a.m. Friday.

The floodwaters have already reached Johnson City, where the river surged more than 5 feet in just 15 minutes between 2:10 and 2:25 p.m., accompanied by a sharp increase in streamflow. Residents near the river should remain alert as conditions can change rapidly and dangerous flooding continues.

The Llano River at Llano remains below flood stage, but the flood wave is expected to arrive this evening. The river is forecast to rise from about 6 feet to around 21 feet by 9 p.m., reaching moderate to major flood stage.

The National Weather Service said flood waves continue moving downstream across several Central Texas rivers.

“Floodwaves continue downstream on our main rivers… on the Llano River the floodwave is in western Llano County, on the Pedernales River the floodwave has reached Stonewall and is likely moving into Blanco County, on the Guadalupe River the floodwave is in eastern Kendall County, on the Medina River it has reached Bandera… broader rises above major flood stage are occurring along the Nueces and Frio Rivers in Uvalde County from today’s rains, and the rise from Cibolo Creek from yesterday’s rains is near Stockdale,” the National Weather Service said.

— Mary Wasson, Newsroom Meteorologist

River Sentry installed 105 flood-warning towers along the Guadalupe River, chief experience officer Joe Swann said.

Swann stayed in Kerrville on Wednesday night in anticipation of potential flooding.

He said he rushed to Ingram in the middle of the night after alarms sounded from six towers outside Howdy’s Bar and Chill and the neighboring River Run campground. When Swann arrived around 4 a.m., the last remaining campers were evacuating River Run.

“Our towers worked,” Swann said.

The 8-foot towers have ground-level sensors that detect rising water and activate an alarm and lights intended to wake people, much like a hotel fire alarm. River Sentry was founded after last year’s deadly Hill Country flood.

The company donated 100 systems to property owners along the river. Swann said the Eastland family, which owns Camp Mystic, paid the $750,000 cost of getting the alarms in place. Most of the systems are installed at 15 children’s camps along the river, including Camp Mystic.

The company’s towers are separate from the county’s new warning system. They function like smoke alarms in a home, responding to high water in a specific location. The countywide system is ultimately intended to predict when flooding is imminent.

Swann said the towers blare a siren, shine a red light toward the river and a white light uphill. For six minutes, they play a recorded warning telling people nearby to move to higher ground.

— Megan Rodriguez, San Antonio Express News

A 65-year-old Kerrville man was killed after rising flood waters swept away his mobile home early Thursday morning, his wife said.

A neighbor said he awoke to an emergency call from John Mark Steward at 3:06 a.m. on Thursday. Steward said his mobile home was flooding. By the time neighbor Mike Eifert was able to help, Steward’s house had started to float away. 

The victim’s wife, Jennie Steward, said the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office called her to confirm the death. The San Antonio Express-News could not independently verify the man’s death with authorities.

In the early morning flash flooding that caused Kerr County officials to declare a state of emergency, Steward’s creek-side home was carried off by the rising waters, Eifert said. Goat Creek, which flows along the area where Eifert and Steward live, flows into to the Guadalupe River. 

Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed at least one person had died on Thursday. It is not clear if he was referring to Steward or another victim. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for clarification.

Read more: ‘He couldn’t get out’: Kerrville man dies when flood sweeps away mobile home

— Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express News

Cajun Navy 2016, a nonprofit founded in Louisiana after catastrophic flooding in the state, has deployed a team of volunteers to help with swift water and recovery operations in the Center Point area of Kerr County, the organization announced Thursday afternoon.

County officials confirmed all campers in the area were reported safe as state officials confirmed one fatality in the Center Point region. Officials said the person’s identity will not be shared until next of kin has been notified.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

Kim and Mark Isbell, owners of Arrowhead Creek Vineyards in Stonewall, stood in the driveway of their property and looked out at the flooded Pedernales River below. 

The couple’s 45-foot RV, which sits on the vineyard grounds, was flooded this morning. They evacuated around 10 a.m. and were able to gather personal belongings and their 3-year-old dog, Purdy, on the way out. 

Kim Isbell held her face in her hands as she watched the river swell. She said the water rose last night, but the river had receded three feet by this morning, easing some of their concern. It wasn’t until they received messages urging them to evacuate that they realized the situation was about to worsen. 

“All of a sudden, we’re looking out and the water’s rising quickly,” Kim Isbell said, a tear streaming down her cheek. “We just grabbed what we could from the camper and packed stuff up. It’s devastating.”

They tried to hitch the camper to a friend’s car and move it out of the floodplain, but it was too late. The RV’s tires were cemented deep in the mud. 

The couple isn’t too concerned about the vineyard itself flooding because it sits higher on the property. 

Kim Isbell said they’ve been fielding calls this morning from people asking if the vineyard is open today.

“I don’t blame them,” she said. “They just can’t understand what’s going on here unless they see it themselves.”

— Julianna Duennes Russ, Breaking and Trending Reporter

The City of Fredericksburg says it is currently taking in those seeking shelter from floodwaters at the First Baptist Church located at 1407 E. Main St. As of noon, there were seven people in the shelter. 

— Faith Bugenhagen, Breaking and Trending Reporter

The Lower Colorado River Authority plans to open multiple floodgates along the Colorado River on Thursday as water moves downstream through the Highland Lakes system.

The utility said it intends to open floodgates at Wirtz Dam on Lake LBJ and Max Starcke Dam on Lake Marble Falls. The releases will send water downstream into Lake Travis.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that one person has died in this week’s flooding across Texas.

Abbott said the death occurred downstream from Kerrville, between Kerrville and Comfort. He said he could not confirm whether the victim was an adult and that additional details would be released within the hour.

Abbott said the state has assisted in rescuing more than 70 people and that he plans to travel to the affected areas within the next 24 hours.

Abbott also said flood warning sirens were operational in Kerrville, one of the hardest-hit communities during last year’s deadly floods. However, he said one siren was delayed by about five minutes.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

The Pedernales River at Johnson City is forecast to rise more than 10 feet through the afternoon. By 6 p.m., the river is expected to approach 22 feet, reaching major flood stage.

At those levels, secondary and primary roads from Stonewall to Lake Travis could become dangerous or impassable due to floodwaters. Low-lying areas of Pedernales Falls State Park are also expected to flood, with bridges, low-water crossings, and roadways near the river becoming hazardous. Officials warn that fencing, roads and other infrastructure within the floodplain may be damaged or destroyed.

Highway 87 South will soon be impassable, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

— Mary Wasson, Newsroom Meteorologist and Julianna Duennes Russ, Breaking and Trending Reporter

The Pedernales River has reached 34.34 feet with a flow of 70,000 cubic feet per second. That’s the equivalent of about 523,000 gallons of water passing by every second, or 31.4 million gallons per minute. For context, the average flow over Niagara Falls is about 85,000 cubic feet per second.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

A Flash Flood Emergency has been issued for the Pedernales River along Gillespie County. The National Weather Service is urging residents along the Pedernales to seek higher ground immediately.

— Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor

The Guadalupe River in Comfort — a small unincorporated community between San Antonio and Kerrville — is currently at 37.08 feet. It’s more than last year’s crest during the deadly July 4 flooding, which was around 35 feet. River levels rose more than 27 feet in just over an hour. When compared to Guadalupe River at Kerrville, last year’s crest was 37.51 feet.

— Mary Wasson, Newsroom Meteorologist and Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News

“A Flash Flood Emergency has been issued along the Guadalupe River from Center Point downstream through Comfort to Bergheim,” meteorologists at the Austin and San Antonio National Weather Service wrote. “The river gauge at Center Point has risen 32 feet in 4 hours and is expected to reach a crest similar to July 4, 2025 catastrophic river flood. Flash flooding is already occurring.”

Forecasters had warned Wednesday night that flash flooding was already occurring and additional rainfall could worsen conditions.

Residents should avoid travel, as flooding has inundated roads, low-water crossings and nearby structures. Water rescues and evacuations were reportedly underway in Kerr County as the flood wave moved downstream.