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Catastrophic flooding has swept across parts of Texas following days of heavy rain, submerging homes and roads, prompting hundreds of rescues and leaving emergency responders working around the clock as floodwaters continue to threaten communities.
The floods have killed two people and forced hundreds of rescues in areas still reeling from devastating floods a year ago, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday.
Rescuers aboard boats and helicopters have saved more than 200 people, including stranded drivers and people trapped in homes, Abbott said.
The governor said the hardest-hit areas are expecting more rain into Friday and are not out of danger yet, with some rivers expected to reach historic levels.
After days of pounding rain, the US National Weather Service said a large wave on Thursday barreled down the same river wrecked by flash floods last summer, when two dozen children and counselors died at Camp Mystic.
Much like last year, the floods came in the middle of the night. But this time, some residents in the Texas Hill Country said they received more warnings.
Forecasters urgently warned, “Move to higher ground now!” as rivers rose hour by hour. Some spots of the Guadalupe River rose by more than nine meters.
The governor said more than 2,000 first responders had been deployed and some evacuations began before the worst of the flooding.
“What happened last year was a warning to people on or near rivers,” Abbott said. “No one can be complacent.”
As much as 74 centimeters of rain fell in Uvalde County, which was spared from the worst flooding a year ago, the weather service said on Thursday. Other areas saw roughly 30 cm of rain.
The governor said one of the victims was driving on a flooded road and was swept away near Uvalde, while the other died in Kerr County.
The unfolding crisis brought back haunting memories of last summer's Hill Country floods, which killed more than 100 people over the July 4th holiday.
“It's crazy happening twice in one year,” said Josiah Rodriguez, who woke up to the sound of heavy rain around 2 am local time in Kerrville on Thursday. He navigated flooded roads to help evacuate relatives.
“Last year, there was no warning of it,” he said. “It just kind of happened overnight and it took everyone by surprise. This year, a lot more alerts have gone into place, a lot more safety measures.”
Roughly six million residents across Texas were under a flood watch this week, and many were expected to remain in effect into Friday.
Texas Game Wardens rescued close to 150 people by the afternoon, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson.
The Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area's signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow river basins.
