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Kerr County Marks One Year Since Deadly Guadalupe River Flood as Recovery and Warnings Move Forward

New warning sirens and rebuilding aim to reduce future risk as tourism slowly returns.

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Christina Wilson lived with her fiancé, Julian Ryan, in a mobile home on this lot before the July 4 flood. Wilson hopes to return to live on the property, which includes a tree Ryan’s father planted before he was born.
Community members observe a moment of silence during a tree dedication ceremony Friday at Ingram City Park.
Lawson Harvey, 10, rides his bike across the Guadalupe River at Louise Hays Park in Kerrville on Friday. The city is preparing for its annual July 4 celebrations, but this year those events will be joined by memorials for the people who died in last summer's flooding. 

Overview

  • The flash flood on July 4, 2025 killed 119 people in Kerr County and more than 135 across the region after the Guadalupe River rose unusually fast and swept through camps, homes, and riverfront properties.
  • Off‑duty Kerrville officers Tyler Cottonware and Ryan Casey and civilians such as rental manager Eddie Matthews made dozens of urgent rescues during the disaster and remain central to anniversary stories of local heroism.
  • The community held structured memorials and a Faith and Fellowship healing night before Fourth of July events designed to let people grieve and celebrate while encouraging visitors to return.
  • Practical recovery steps include partial reopening of riverfront lodging with bookings about 75% of normal at some properties and the installation of new warning sirens in western Kerr County while officials develop a formal emergency action plan.
  • Investigations into preparedness failures have produced state probe findings and Camp Mystic’s bankruptcy, and those results are driving moves to fund more river gauges, strengthen camp rules, and expand alert systems as survivors cope with ongoing trauma and rebuilding needs.