At least 2 dead in catastrophic flooding in Texas Hill Country

In an update late Thursday, the National Weather Service office for Austin-San Antonio said radar showed storm activity is starting to increase across parts of Texas that have already received torrential rain this week.

“Many of these areas have received up to a foot of rainfall in the past 2 to 3 days. It will not take much additional rainfall to compound flooding concerns,” the office said.

A flash flood warning is in effect for parts of Bandera, Kerr and Real counties until 3:45 a.m. local time.

“Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly,” the warning said.

Volunteers search along the Guadalupe River after flash floods in Kerrville, Texas, on July 10, 2025.

A Kerrville resident who survived last year’s devastating Texas floods told CNN he sprang into action early Thursday when rapidly rising water stranded his pregnant neighbor and brought back memories of the disaster that devastated the Guadalupe River community last summer.

RickyRay Robertson said floodwaters rose so quickly that roads became impassable within minutes, forcing him and his neighbor to abandon her vehicle and wade through chest-deep water to safety.

Robertson said the experience reignited trauma from last year’s flooding. “After that last flood, I can be asleep in the rain … and I’m waking up, running to the front door to see if we’re floating or not. It’s a real thing,” he told CNN.

The flooding comes as crews continue searching for victims from last year’s disaster near Robertson’s property. He said ongoing sediment removal and cleanup work along the river may have helped limit the impact of this week’s flooding. “If they would not have done that all the way down, it would have been worse up here than last year,” Robertson said.

An Agricultural Emergency has been declared in parts of Texas as floodwaters threaten crops, livestock and infrastructure, the state’s agriculture commissioner said Thursday.

“Texas agriculture is taking another heavy blow,” Sid Miller said in a statement announcing the declaration. “Producers are facing damaged crops, washed-out fences, submerged grazing land, and disrupted transportation routes,” Miller added.

The emergency declaration activates the state agriculture department’s relief resources to help farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses recover.

“The floodwaters will recede, but for now I’m asking producers to stay safe and follow the guidance of local emergency officials. No crop or piece of equipment is worth risking your life,” Miller said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also issued a disaster declaration in response to the flooding.

Water along the Pedernales River floods the Gillespie County Safety Rest Area on Thursday, July 16, in Stonewall, Texas.

While water levels have receded in some areas of Texas hit with catastrophic flooding, state officials are urging residents to remain vigilant after the deluge left at least two residents dead.

More rain looms ahead, including another possible round of heavy rain overnight into Friday.

“Together, all of us Texans can be diligent over the next 24 hours to make sure we avoid rising water or heading into water on roadways,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Thursday afternoon news conference. “If we can do that, we’ll make it through this episode with nobody else losing their life.”

Here’s what to know about the flooding threat over the next day:

One of the people who died in the Central Texas flooding was a 65-year-old Kerrville man who was swept away while in his mobile home, his wife confirmed to the San Antonio Express-News.

The victim, John Mark Steward, called his neighbor at 3:06 a.m. and told him his mobile home was flooding, the neighbor, Mike Eifert, told the newspaper. By the time Eifert could reach Steward, the mobile home started to float away, according to the neighbor.

Steward’s wife, Jennie Steward, was out of town at the time and she told the newspaper the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office called her to confirm her husband’s death.

In a Facebook post, Jennie Steward said she would be forever grateful for the “beautiful years” she spent with her husband.

Steward ran track and played football at Westlake High School outside Austin, Texas, according to an Instagram post from the school.

CNN has not been able to confirm Steward’s death with authorities.

Comal County, Texas, issued a mandatory evacuation order Thursday evening for areas along the Guadalupe River due to flooding threats.

The evacuation order is limited to the stretch of the river from the Comal County line at the Guadalupe River State Park to FM 311. Only those in areas along the river are being asked to evacuate.

“Do not wait to see how conditions develop. Leave while roads are still passable,” the evacuation order said.

The county is about 40 miles north of San Antonio.

Water levels at Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas remain high

0:40 • Source: CNN

Water levels at Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas remain high

0:40

CNN video shows the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, remains swollen Thursday evening. Multiple trees have been knocked down as the raging waters continue rushing downstream, following heavy rainfall in the area.

Officials said Thursday afternoon that while most of the flooding in Kerrville has receded, the Guadalupe River remains at a flood stage.

A River Sentry flood warning tower.

A Texas-based company installed 105 flood-warning towers along the Guadalupe River ahead of the most recent flooding event in the Kerr County area.

The founders of River Sentry were approached by several camps in the area asking to build a warning system to avoid another catastrophic event like last year’s July 4 flooding of the river, said CEO and founder Ian Cunningham.

The overflowing water is detected by water sensors, then high-intensity lights illuminate an escape route and finally, sirens activate saying, “Flood danger, flood danger, run to higher ground.”

“The same circumstances that occurred last year occurred again this morning but this time, our towers intervened and woke people and got them out of the way,” Cunningham said. “You could make the argument that these were critical in intervening and saving lives.”

Cunningham added three of the towers were swept away by floodwaters but they were recovered and will be repaired.

The company is looking to expand and add more towers in flood-prone areas.

“We want to show that it’s technologically provable and financially feasible to have this equipment wherever people are sleeping near water,” Cunningham said.

Last year’s catastrophic Guadalupe River floods served as a reminder for people to react quickly to flooding threats, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said during a news conference Thursday.

“What happened last year was a warning to people on or near rivers … that no one can be complacent when rainfall and waters rise,” Abbott said.

Authorities have applied lessons learned from last year’s flooding and have been more proactive with evacuations, according to Abbott.

More than 80 people were evacuated from campgrounds near the river before floodwaters reached dangerous levels, Abbott said. In Kerr County, warning sirens were activated in the early morning hours before water levels began to rise, Texas Division Management Chief Nim Kidd added.

“Now we’re being very aggressive when the waters start coming down the skies and start rising out of rivers,” Abbott said.

“We will take experiences gained from this flooding event and evaluate if further walls are needed or the existing walls need to be recalibrated,” he added.