Central Texas floods: Kerrville submerged as Guadalupe River swells to record level | Watch

1. Central Texas floods: Kerrville submerged as Guadalupe River swells to record level | Watch

Torrential rains in Central Texas have caused river levels to surge and triggered deadly flash floods. According to CNN, officials in Kerr County, located approximately 75 miles west of Austin, confirmed multiple fatalities caused by the flooding, though few details were divulged as next of kin are being notified.

Water rises from severe flooding along the Guadalupe River.in Kerr County, Texas on Friday, July 4, 2025(AP)

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office described the situation as ‘catastrophic’ in a Facebook post and urged the residents to shelter in place and avoid all travel. The office said the entire county was an “extremely active scene.”

Deadly flash flood strikes Texas on July 4

The CNN report said that the disaster struck just as Texans were preparing for Independence Day celebrations. However, instead of parades and barbecues, emergency crews in Kerrville and San Angelo scrambled to rescue residents trapped by fast-rising floodwaters. The affected areas include Comfort, Center Point and Kerrville.

According to the CNN report, in Kerrville, where a disaster declaration was issued by Mayor Joe Herring Jr, the floodwaters had entered homes, parks, and cabins in the Kerrville-Schreiner Park, which forced people to evacuate shortly after sunrise.

Also read: Madre fire map: Worst hit areas as blaze engulfs over 50,000 acres in California

Another USA Today report added that the Guadalupe River near the community of Hunt rose to 22 feet in just three hours, reaching its second-highest level on record. This overtook the mark set during the deadly 1987 flood that killed 10 teenagers in a church camp bus near Comfort, Texas.

The National Weather Service (NWS), as per the report, issued at least five flash flood emergencies across Tom Green, Kerr, and Kendall counties with an alarming level of flood warning. In San Angelo, police advised all residents to shelter in place and avoid downtown travel, the USA Today report added.

Some areas in Central Texas receive over 10 inches rain

Parts of central Texas received over 10 inches of rain overnight, more than a full summer’s average rainfall, which overwhelmed drought-parched soils and triggered flash floods. Rainfall in Hunt, as per CNN, reached 6.5 inches in three hours, an event with only a one per cent chance of occurring annually.

Meteorologists and climate scientists pointed to the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events due to global warming, as per CNN. Hourly rainfall rates have intensified in nearly 90 per cent of major United States’ cities since 1970, the outlet said, citing recent studies.

A: Torrential rain overnight, up to 10 inches in some areas of Texas, caused rivers and creeks to overflow rapidly, especially in drought-affected soils.

A: Authorities in Kerr County have confirmed fatalities, but have not released a specific number pending next-of-kin notifications.

A: Kerr County, including Kerrville and Hunt, and parts of Tom Green County including San Angelo, are among the hardest hit.