Here's the latest
• At least one person has died in flash flooding in Texas Hill Country as “large and deadly” flood waves surged down rivers and creeks.
• The Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose 25 feet in one hour as slow-moving storms dropped several inches of rain. About a year’s worth of rain has already fallen in southern Texas.
• It’s still unclear what the ultimate scope of the devastation will be, or how this event will compare to last year’s July Fourth floods, which left more than 130 dead, including 25 girls and two counselors at Camp Mystic. Flood water is still rushing through Texas Hill Country and rescues are ongoing, and another wave of heavy rain is possible overnight into Friday.
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A photographer captured the moment four deer appear to be carried away by floodwaters in Boerne, Texas.
Flash flood emergencies are in effect in the same communities devastated by last year's historic disaster as rivers rise rapidly, water rescues mount and more torrential rain threatens catastrophic flooding.
Officials asked residents near the Guadalupe River to shelter in place and move to the highest level of their home.
A photographer captured the moment four deer appear to be carried away by floodwaters in Boerne, Texas.
Another round of slow-moving storms is pounding already drenched areas of southern Texas. More than 75 people have been rescued from rising floodwater, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.
All campers safe in Kerr County, sheriff's office says
All camps in Kerr County have confirmed their campers are safe, according to an update from the county sheriff’s office on social media.
Local and state first responder crews have conducted multiple water rescue operations throughout the county, according to the update. Authorities urged residents to stay aware and to avoid driving, noting conditions are rapidly changing.
“Traveling through Kerr County is hazardous at this time due to debris on roadways and roads that are still flooded. If you are not in danger from rising water, shelter in place and do not attempt to travel,” the sheriff’s office said.
Overturned RVs and cars swept up in flood debris in Ingram
Overturned RVs and vehicles were spotted among extensive debris after floodwaters engulfed Ingram, Texas, about six miles west of Kerrville.
Footage from Jonathan Petramala shows an aerial view of the damage, with tree branches snarled with downed power lines and vehicles strewn along roadways.
Flood watch extended into Friday in south-central Texas
The flood watch for hard-hit areas of south-central Texas is now in effect until 12 p.m. CT Friday. It was previously in effect through Thursday evening.
The watches include the US 90 corridor west of San Antonio, the Hill Country, the Rio Grande Valley and the southern Edwards Plateau.
Another flare-up of storms could hit some of these areas Thursday night into early Friday morning and exacerbate ongoing flooding. Additional rainfall totals between 2 to 4 inches are expected, with isolated spots possibly seeing up to 8 inches.
The weather pattern that has caused this week’s flooding will finally loosen its grip by Friday afternoon, kicking off a dry stretch that will last through the weekend.
This flood disaster in Texas came with much more warning than last year
While the flood disaster is still unfolding in central and southern Texas, there are some key differences between this year’s flooding and last year’s devastating Fourth of July floods that killed more than 130 people in the same area.
Despite eerily similar flash flood waves and rainfall totals along the Guadalupe River impacting Kerr and Kendall counties that once again raised water levels by 25 feet or more in an hour, this year’s flash floods came with more advanced warning and greater awareness of the threat posed by the extreme rainfall.
Today’s flooding comes on the third-straight day in a row of a “high risk” — the highest level — for flooding rainfall in the region. Previous days had seen up to a half-year’s worth of rain fall just to the south along Highway 90 in Uvalde and Medina counties, with more than 20 inches in some locations. And while the Guadalupe River basin had been spared the heaviest rainfall before today, awareness of the threat was high.
A flood watch was in place for the region starting Monday morning, with a series of other alerts including flood warnings and emergencies for multiple counties coming over three days.
Last year there was not a high-risk threat in place on July 4th ahead of the flood disaster, but rather a level 2 of 4 risk covered the region. A flood watch was only issued about 12 hours before the devastating flood waters rushed down the Guadalupe River in Kerr County.
Water overtakes neighboring Texas towns
Roofs of houses and the tops of trees are peeking out amid high floodwaters in central Texas.
Aerial footage gives a glimpse of what the scene looks like in Comfort, Texas, as nearby roadways remain covered and houses are partially submerged.
It’s a similar scene about 26 miles northwest in Ingram, where floodwaters are continuing to flow throughout the town and debris is sprawled out along the roadways.
Kendall County official says flooding is worse, but area more prepared
The Guadalupe River in Comfort, Texas, reached higher levels on Thursday than it did during last year’s devastating July 4 floods, but a Kendall County official told CNN this year’s situation feels completely different.
“This year, we’re just standing by, waiting for any type of calls to come in for help,” Commissioner Chad Carpenter said. As of midday Thursday, Kendall County has assisted in evacuations, but no deaths have been reported, Carpenter said.
There are also no reports of missing people in the county, Kendall County Deputy Fire Marshal Brady Constantine told reporters at a later news conference.
Kendall County is downstream from neighboring Kerr County, which was hit hard last year. In the aftermath of the Fourth of July floods, several victims from farther upstream were discovered in Kendall County amid massive search efforts.
Officials have activated flood sirens and pushed phone alerts throughout the region, according to Carpenter. State leaders also sent a surge of resources to the area ahead of time to help.
“I think everyone is more alert,” he said, comparing the situation to last year. “People were up all night ready and waiting to respond.”
Texas governor says 1 death reported in floods
At least one person has died in the central Texas flooding, Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters Thursday.
“I have learned that there has been one loss of life now, and that happened overnight,” Abbott said, speaking at an event in Austin. The person was not a camper, and the death was reported “between the Kerrville and Comfort area,” he added, noting officials are still investigating.
Later the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed “one fatality related to July 16th flooding” near Center Point but did not disclose how the person died.
“Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected by this loss,” the sheriff’s office said.
Why flood waves keep hitting Texas Hill Country
After the devastating July Fourth floods in 2025 — which left more than 130 people dead, including 25 girls and two counselors at Camp Mystic — residents are left wondering why their region is facing extreme flooding once again only a year later.
Nicknamed “flash flood alley,” the steep slopes, shallow soils and exposed bedrock of Texas Hill Country repel heavy rain instead of soaking into the ground.
That means the narrow creeks and rivers take the brunt of the water all at once, transforming them from a trickle into massive, fast-moving torrents of water.
So much rain falling in such a short period of time has contributed to both flooding disasters. Kerr County saw 7 to 12 inches last year, most of which fell in just 3 hours. Over 5 inches fell in just one hour.
Around a year's worth of rain has now fallen in south-central Texas
Rainfall totals for the past three days have now topped 2 feet in at least two locations in Uvalde County, according to preliminary totals from the Weather Prediction Center.
The highest total as of Thursday morning is 26.59 inches near Knippa, Texas. Another nearby location has received 24.98 inches.
This is around a year’s worth of rain in just three days for the area. Average yearly rainfall for this part of Uvalde County is between 22 to 30 inches, according to an analysis from PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.
Watch storms park over the Hill Country
Satellite imagery shows thunderstorms hardly moving over the Texas Hill Country over the last two and a half hours, dumping up to 3.5 inches of rain on top of several inches earlier in the morning.
In Kerr County, 4 to 12 inches of rain has fallen since late Wednesday night, warranting a flash flood emergency for portions of the county.
Storms will continue moving over Kerr County through late morning, dropping 1 to 2 inches of additional rain that may exacerbate current flooding.
Kerrville mayor says he's hopeful that warnings prevented loss of life
Joe Herring Jr., mayor of Kerrville, Texas — one of the places hit hard by last year’s devastating floods — said local government is better prepared for the flooding this time around.
While there have been no confirmed deaths so far in his city, Herring said he cannot rule out any casualties.
Even though the damage to facilities and infrastructure will still be severe, Herring said he hopes the loss of life will be lower than last year, thanks to the warnings.
At least 120 people, including more than 35 children, were killed in the catastrophic Texas floods last July.
Over 30 people rescued in Gillespie County, officials say
In Gillespie County, crews have rescued over 30 people impacted by rising floodwater, including from cars, residences and RV parks on Thursday, Sean Doerre, the City of Fredericksburg’s public information officer, told CNN. Fredericksburg is the county seat.
The rescues mainly occurred around Highway 16 South and Morris Tivydale Road, southwest of the city, Doerre said.
Local and state resources are still surveying the damage in the area, he said, noting roads and bridges have been impacted.
Flash flood warning issued farther downstream on Guadalupe River
A new flash flood warning has been issued for over 6,000 people farther downstream along the Guadalupe River as the flood wave advances east.
The warning includes locations near the river in east-central Kendall County and central Comal County until 10:15 p.m. CT.
Canyon Lake, Guadalupe River State Park and Spring Branch are among the locations in the warning.
The Guadalupe River at Spring Branch is forecast to rise above flood stage this evening and crest about a foot above moderate flood stage early Friday morning. At moderate stage, some structures and roads near the water could be inundated, according to the National Water Prediction Service.
Tree trunks, debris pile up against Kerrville bridge
Tree trunks, large branches and other debris have begun to pile up against a bridge in Kerrville, Texas, as the swollen Guadalupe River continues to rush by.
Video captured by CNN affiliate KABB shows the scene near Louise Hays Park.
Helicopters perform rescue missions in Kerr and Gillespie counties
As floodwaters rise in Texas Hill Country, two Travis County STAR (Shock Trauma Air Rescue) Flight helicopters are actively performing rescue missions in both Kerr and Gillespie counties, according to Travis County officials.
A flash flood emergency warning has been issued for people in Gillespie County along the Pedernales River, and a disaster declaration has been issued in Kerr County, where officials have requested outside assistance to respond to the flooding.
Responders have performed multiple rescue missions with the helicopters, Travis County public information officer Hector Nieto told CNN.
Family sheltered for hours in attic after floodwaters filled home "in a blink of an eye"
Officials asked residents near the Guadalupe River to shelter in place and move to the highest level of their home.
A Kerrville family sheltered in the attic of their flooded home for more than two hours early this morning while waiting for rescuers to bring them to safety.
Ava Shelton, 11, told journalist Jonathan Petramala that she woke up at about 2 a.m. local time on Thursday when a friend called to tell her about the flooding.
She said she panicked when she looked outside.
Her father, Robert Shelton, said their whole kitchen was flooded when he woke up.
A rescue boat arrived at about 5 a.m. CT to bring them to safety, he said.
Pedernales River rises over 21 feet in 3 hours
The Pedernales River in Fredericksburg, Texas, has risen 21.8 feet in three hours, according to the National Weather Service, a sign of the “large and deadly flood wave” that prompted a flash flood emergency from the National Weather Service.
The river reached major flood stage as of 10:00 a.m. ET and is expected to crest at nearly 34 feet later this morning.
Multiple river crests can create false sense of security
Some of the rivers and streams that have already crested are expected to see levels briefly decline before another flood wave makes its way downstream.
This can create a false sense of security if people assume the flood threat is over and return to low-lying areas.
The Guadalupe River at Hunt and Kerrville — which peaked earlier on Thursday — is among those expected to see another crest later this morning.
Flood sirens activated, officials urge evacuations for parts of Comfort, Texas
Officials advised residents in low-lying residential areas of Comfort in Kendall County, Texas, to evacuate early Thursday morning due to flooding, Comfort Fire Department Assistant Chief Danny Morales told CNN.
Morales didn’t know whether the roughly eight homes in the affected area had taken on water as of around 7:45 a.m. local time. No injuries or high water rescues had been reported, Morales said, though authorities assisted some people in evacuating after the roadway was flooded.
Officials also activated Comfort’s flood siren twice Thursday morning to warn residents who had not evacuated that the threat from rising floodwater was ongoing, he said. Authorities also sent alerts urging residents to move to high ground along the Guadalupe River between Comfort and Center Point in Kerr County, according to Morales.
