Sirens put to work as Texas Hill Country again slammed with floods
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Flooding on the Guadalupe River on Thursday in Kerrville. Photo: Andrew J. Whitaker/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images
At least one person died as flash floods swept through the Texas Hill Country on Thursday.
The big picture: Newly installed flood sirens on the Guadalupe River and other preparations appear to have saved lives, a little more than a year after last year's July Fourth flood that left more than 130 people dead.
The latest: First responders rescued more than 70 people from high waters with more than 1,300 state personnel in the area, Gov. Greg Abbott said. He added that helicopters and drones were looking for more people who might be stuck.
- "We're looking at every square inch … for anybody who may be stranded anywhere," Abbott said. "There will be help coming."
- Abbott said he will travel to the affected regions, including Uvalde, in the coming days.
What they're saying: Abbott said that summer camps along the Guadalupe River were OK, and that the flood sirens largely worked, save for one that did not go off immediately.
- Along the Guadalupe River in Center Point, the Children's Association for Maximum Potential, or Camp CAMP, said that campers and volunteers there were safe and had breakfast together in the dining hall.
- Mo-Ranch on the Guadalupe River also said its campers were safe.
State of play: River Sentry, a private company that installed a new flood warning system along a portion of the Guadalupe River, says that six of its sirens went off after detecting high water near Howdy's Restaurant and River Run Campground near Ingram.
- "All units activated, triggering the immediate evacuation of the camp ground and surrounding residents who were awoken by the towers," a post from River Sentry reads. "Kerr County dispatch was notified soon after."
- Three of its siren towers were damaged or lost and will need to be replaced.
Flashback: The town of Comfort in Kendall County installed flood sirens in 2024 that were largely credited with saving lives in last year's July Fourth flooding, per KSAT.
By the numbers: The Guadalupe River at Comfort reached 32.5 feet high just before 10am Thursday, per state data.
- Last year, the Guadalupe River crested at 37.5 feet.
- Kerrville saw about 19.5 inches of rain between Monday and Thursday this week. Boerne received 14.8 inches and Uvalde 21.8 inches during that period.
Zoom out: Elsewhere in the Hill Country, Uvalde saw flooding on the Leona, Nueces and Frio rivers that closed roads across the town and caused officials to open shelters.
- Blanco and Gillespie counties also saw significant flooding. The Pedernales River in Fredericksburg reached its highest level since 1979, per the Express-News. It reached a high of more than 34 feet Thursday morning, considered major flooding.
The bottom line: Thursday's Hill Country flooding was devastating, but changes made after last year likely saved lives.