Catastrophic Floods Cause Deaths In Central Texas

Water rescues and search and recovery efforts were underway in Central Texas after heavy rain caused devastating floods that started in the middle of the night Thursday. The National Weather Service declared flash flood emergencies in Kerr County and San Angelo early Friday morning, warning that a “large and deadly flood wave” was moving down the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.

Mobile homes, campers and other vehicles were swept away as the river surged. Weather.com meteorologist Sara Tonks says the river shot up 20 feet in approximately an hour and a half. She adds, "The soil and the river were unable to keep up with the rain as over 7 inches of rain fell in only 4 and a half hours from 1 to 5:30 am."

The Guadalupe River hit its second-highest height ever on record, reaching 29.45 feet, but Bob Fogarty, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office believes it could be even higher. He told the Associated Press the gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and half feet, “The gauge is completely underwater.”

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As of late Friday afternoon, at least six people have been killed by the floods. In addition, 20 are unaccounted for from a girls' summer camp, according to the Associated Press.

Kerrville’s Mayor Joe Herring issued a disaster declaration on Friday morning.

Flooding also inundated neighborhoods further north in San Angelo. Some areas got more than a foot of rain, trapping people inside their homes. The National Weather Service in San Angelo said it received multiple reports of flooded roads and homes across Tom Green County, calling the conditions life-threatening.

The NWS urged people to stay indoors and issued River Flood Warnings for parts of San Saba, Concho and Colorado rivers.