What to Know
Acting Gov. Dan Patrick was expected to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. on significant flooding in the Hill Country and the Concho Valley. County officials to speak at 3 p.m. We are still awaiting both news conferences.Heavy rain overnight led to deadly, catastrophic flooding in Central Texas.Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said an unknown number of children are missing from summer camps along the Guadalupe River. Kelly confirmed that at least six people have died but that no information was available on their identities, including age or gender.Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring has declared a disaster.The Guadalupe River rose 22 feet in three hours overnight near Hunt. The flood wave has reached Comfort and is expected to crest at 34 feet in Spring Branch Friday afternoon.An unknown number of children are missing from summer camps along the Guadalupe River after heavy rain overnight led to deadly, catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country, according to a county judge who previously confirmed at least six deaths from the overnight storm.
The Guadalupe River rose to near-record depths overnight in Hunt, rising from about 7.5 feet at 1 a.m. Friday to nearly 30 feet by 4:30 a.m.– a 22-foot rise in about three hours. The NWS said they think the river rose higher, but that the gauge was underwater and was no longer reporting data.
The area has several summer camps along the river, including Camp Mystic, a camp for girls. The camp issued a statement Friday morning saying the parents of missing children have been notified, and if a parent has not been contacted, their child is accounted for.
“We can’t say for sure that they’re all accounted for. We know that there are some missing. We know where some of them are; they’re stranded, and we’re working to confirm that with people out at Camp Mystic. But in terms of how many, exactly how many are missing and unaccounted for, we’re not sure about that number, but we have a bunch of them we’re trying to get back,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly during a briefing Friday morning.
Camp Mystic officials said in a statement that they were working with search and rescue teams to find the missing girls.
Several other camps along the river are issuing statements about the flooding and their status, most saying all children had been accounted for. Kelly said parents with questions about their child’s status should call their camp directly.
“We have a lot of camps … I don’t know any specifics about any of the individual camps,” Kelly said. “What I do know is that everybody is doing their very best to try to identify as much as we can.”
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed fatalities related to the flooding, but they have not confirmed any numbers. WOAI-TV reported that Judge Kelly confirmed at least six people had died in the flooding. During a briefing Friday morning, Kelley said they had not yet confirmed the identity of any of the victims and said they hoped to release more information about the number of people missing or killed Friday afternoon.
“I’ve been advised not to use any numbers. We do have some numbers, but we’re not going to use them at this time,” Kelly said.
Rescue crews and recovery crews are working in the area.
At 9:10 a.m., the NWS said the river had crested in Hunt and was falling, but they may again see a rise with additional rainfall. Just how high the river rose is unknown. The NWS said the gauge was underwater and failed when the river reached nearly 30 feet. Downstream, at about 10 a.m., the Guadalupe River flood wave reached Comfort and the river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes and was in major flood stage. A River Flood Warning was issued for the river at Spring Branch, north of San Antonio, where it was expected to rise to 37 feet Friday night.
“This flood wave will continue downstream through Kerrville and Comfort. This is a very dangerous and life-threatening flood event along the Guadalupe River!” the NWS said in a post on Facebook.
At 11 a.m., the Comfort VFD said the situation was not improving and they were sounding flood sirens, urging all residents in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately.
Videos shared online showed cars being swept away and the swollen Guadalupe River raging. Those near the river, creeks and streams are being directed to move to higher ground. The sheriff’s office said that all of Kerr County is an “extremely active scene” and that residents are being encouraged to shelter in place and avoid travel.
During a briefing Friday morning, Judge Kelley said the county didn’t have a warning system to alert residents or camps to the threatening weather. At about 4 a.m., the NWS upgraded a Flash Flood Warning to a Flash Flood Emergency, allowing wireless emergency alerts to be sent to cell phones for residents and campers along the river.
“We didn’t know this flood was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming. We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States and we deal with floods on a regular basis. When it rains, we get water,” Kelly said. “We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
Due to the flooding, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. issued a disaster declaration Friday morning. The city is reporting widespread power outages.
The US National Weather Service office in Austin-San Antonio said the water rose to the second-highest height, higher than the 1987 flood that killed 10 teenagers on a church bus near Comfort.
Kelly said he thinks this flood is more catastrophic than the flood in 1987.
“Suffice it to say, this has been a very devastating and deadly flood. This far surpasses the 87 flood,” Judge Kelly said. “When you look out your front door and you see the Guadalupe River running, it’ll wake you up, let me tell you.”
The NWS estimated that 5 to 10 inches of rainfall had fallen across south-central Kerr County over a period of 3 to 6 hours overnight. The NWS said 6.5 inches of rainfall were measured in Hunt, and 7.85 inches were measured upstream of Hunt.
At 9 a.m., the NWS issued a Flash Flood Warning for western Gillespie County until 1 p.m. In addition to the 2 to 4 inches of rain that have already fallen, additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches is possible.
State resources responding to flooding in Central Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state is “providing all necessary resources to Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt and the entire Texas Hill Country dealing with these devastating floods.”
“The State of Texas today has mobilized additional resources in addition to the resources sent in preparation for the storms. I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas.”
Ahead of the storms, Abbott said the State of Texas activated emergency response resources in Central Texas in preparation for continued heavy rainfall and flash flooding threats.
The following state emergency response resources are available to support local flood response operations:
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas A&M Task Force 3): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads to assist with flood rescues Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capabilities, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and the Tactical Marine Unit Texas National Guard: High-profile vehicles to aid stranded motorists, Blackhawk helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions Texas A&M Forest Service: Saw Crews to assist with the clearing of roadways Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents, as well as County Extension Agents, to support agricultural and livestock needs Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehiclesActing Gov. Dan Patrick said he will give an update on the state’s response at 2 p.m. Friday.
“I am working in coordination with the state’s emergency response team on the significant flooding that occurred in the Hill Country and Concho Valley regions in the early hours of this morning. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office has reported catastrophic flooding in the area, with several people missing and confirmed loss of life. Additional rain is forecast in those areas. Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas. There is an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours in addition to the continued risks in west and central Texas.
“I urge Texans in impacted areas to heed the guidance of their local officials. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and other state emergency response assets are on the ground assisting Texas communities with response operations and any unmet needs. I will hold a press conference from the Texas State Emergency Operations Center in Austin later this afternoon to brief the public and the media with the latest updates. Media advisory to follow.”
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