Dozens Confirmed Dead After Guadalupe River Rapidly Floods

The Texas flood disaster over Fourth of July was just the latest example of how either a tropical storm or its remnant can still trigger deadly flooding well inland.

More than 100 were killed in the Texas Hill Country when up to 20 inches of rain fell over parts of Kerr County, sending a 26-foot flood wave down the Guadalupe River in the early morning hours of July Fourth. This is now America's deadliest flood event since 1976.

Homes, vehicles, camps and trees were swept away as the Guadalupe River topped its previous record 1932 flood crest in the town of Hunt.

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While what was once Tropical Storm Barry dissipated four days before the flood in eastern Mexico, its remnant spin and moisture moved north into Texas, and contributed to several days of soaking rain, including the July Fourth flash flood.

Here are some other notable examples of tropical storms, or their remnants, triggering deadly, destructive inland flooding days after landfall.

Helene 2024

- Over 30 inches of rain triggered massive destructive flooding in the Southern Appalachians

- At least 63 stream and river gauges set record flood crests

- Deadliest continental U.S. hurricane (at least 250 killed) since Katrina in 2005, 95 of those deaths were from rainfall flooding

- America's seventh costliest hurricane: $78.7 billion in damage, per NOAA

(MORE: Helene's Shocking Final Report)

Ida 2021

- Up to 10 inches of rain swamped parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and southern New England, after it was a post-tropical low, three days after it hammered the Gulf Coast as a Cat 4 hurricane

- At least 12 stream and river gauges set record flood crests

- 48 of the 49 direct deaths in the Northeast were from rainfall flooding

- America's sixth costliest hurricane: $84.6 billion in damage, per NOAA (including damage from the Southeast and Northeast)

(MORE: Ida Full Recap)

Irene & Lee 2011

- In about a week's time, Tropical Storm Irene and the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee each moved through the Northeast

- Irene dumped up to 11 inches of rain in Vermont, and at least a dozen towns as were cut off due to washed out roads and bridges

- Lee's remnants dumped 6 to 12 inches of rain, leading to record flooding along the main branch of the Susquehanna River near Binghamton, New York.

- 21 of 40 direct deaths from Irene were from rainfall flooding. Lee's remnant flooding in the Northeast claimed 11 lives.

- Damage from Irene and Lee combined were $22.3 billion.

Agnes 1972

- Over 10 inches of rain fell from northern Virginia to New York's Finger Lakes region well after Agnes' Florida hurricane landfall after it looped back into the Northeast.

- A dike was breached in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and extensive flooding was observed along the Susquehanna River, including in Elmira, New York, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

- Agnes and its remnants resulted in 118 deaths and $3.5 billion in damage from flooding alone.

Camille 1969

- Up to 27 inches of rain fell in parts of Virginia and West Virginia, primarily within 3 to 5 hours.

- Flash floods and mudslides claimed at least 113 lives in Virginia, alone, almost as many as were killed by Camille's catastrophic Cat 5 landfall (143).

- Flooding along the James River was the worst in over 100 years, and set a U.S. record river discharge east of the Mississippi River.

- Total damage from Camille was $12.2 billion, corrected for inflation.

What You Can Do

Given the ubiquity of smartphones, you can receive NWS-issued weather alerts, such as flash flood warnings, that allow you to take action, even if those warnings are issued in the middle of the night.

We have some useful tips here that can both make you aware of the flash flood threat and keep you safe during an event.

Take flash flooding as seriously as you would a tornado or severe thunderstorm, particularly if you live in a river valley or in hilly terrain. Planning ahead and being aware of the weather can keep you out of danger.

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.