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3w ago

Texas Hill Country Floods Kill Two and Damage Hundreds as State Moves to Recovery

The governor has declared a disaster to unlock federal aid while communities cope with record river crests and continuing downstream danger.

Damaged cars that washed away during the flooding in Kerrville, on July 16, 2026.
A woman at the Dallas Daughtry Memorial Pavilion in Kerrville takes a video of the Guadalupe River on July 16, 2026, after devastating rounds of flooding hit the Hill Country and South Texas.
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Overview

  • A slow‑moving mid‑July storm sent rivers and creeks to record highs, producing more than 500 rescues and at least two confirmed deaths as floodwaters inundated towns across the Hill Country.
  • State and river gauges reported unprecedented crests, including a 28.01‑foot peak in Uvalde County and roughly 37 feet on parts of the Guadalupe River, which sent fast surges into neighborhoods.
  • Preliminary damage assessments show heavy losses in Kerr County: about 490 homes damaged, roughly 135 homes destroyed or heavily damaged, and about 100 businesses affected.
  • Officials say infrastructure suffered serious hits, with part of the FM 481 bridge washed out southwest of Uvalde and a loose barge striking a Kerrville bridge that is under assessment, and evacuations continue downstream along the Nueces River.
  • Texas deployed thousands of personnel and equipment, the governor signed a major disaster declaration to seek federal help, relief groups and local funds have mobilized, and authorities are watching a developing tropical system that could hinder recovery.