Flash Flood Emergencies issued for Kerr, Uvalde counties as life-threatening floods slam Texas Hill Country

This comes a little more than a year after Kerrville and other vulnerable communities along the Guadalupe River saw devastating flooding last July 4 that killed 135 people.

SAN ANTONIO — Relentless, life-threatening flash flooding is ongoing across parts of Texas' Hill Country and Big Bend regions as Flash Flood Emergencies were issued in the pre-dawn hours Thursday in both Kerr and Uvalde counties after intense rain rates sent rivers and creeks surging toward major flood stage.

South-central Texas has been battered by heavy rain since Monday night, with more than 2.5 million people in the bull's-eye for additional rounds of torrential rain through Friday.

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This comes a little more than a year after Kerrville and other vulnerable communities along the Guadalupe River saw devastating flooding last July 4 that killed 135 people.

A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for Kendall County on Wednesday as Boerne officials said high-water rescues were ongoing across the city. A second Flash Flood Emergency was been issued for D'Hanis in Medina County.

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Within the warned area, nearly 4 to 12 inches of rain fell in the span of six hours, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

More than a foot of rain has fallen in Uvalde since early Tuesday, and police were seen going door to door Wednesday morning, evacuating neighborhoods as heavy rain redeveloped over the area.

FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray reported widespread washouts and roads that had been rendered impassable near Camp Wood in Real County Wednesday. Water and air rescue units have been activated across the region.

Meanwhile, the same weather system responsible for the flooding spawned a radar-confirmed tornado in northwest San Antonio that damaged a popular shopping mall during the Wednesday morning rush.

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The torrential rain and flooding prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a state of emergency for 59 counties on Tuesday.

NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued a Level 4 out of 4 flash flood risk for the southern part of Texas Hill Country, with a broader Level 3 threat including the rest of the Hill Country and the San Antonio metro area through Thursday morning.

Flash flood threat Wednesday
(FOX Weather)


 

A viewer in Uvalde told FOX Weather that helicopters rescued people on County Road 429 north of the city on Wednesday.

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An image taken north of Uvalde on Tuesday showed floodwaters nearly reaching the 5-foot mark on a roadside flood marker.

Uvalde police said they have conducted at least 25 water rescues since Tuesday.

Officials from Sabinal and Medina County told FOX Weather on Tuesday they made multiple water rescues, with one driver saved by a tree that prevented their vehicle from being swept away.

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Gov. Abbott said the Blackhawk helicopters and other rescue teams were deployed Tuesday, and the National Guard and other state resources were activated ahead of the storms.

Dramatic video near Interstate 10 in San Antonio appeared to show a tornado in the distance as traffic streamed along during the Wednesday morning rush. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Antonio said there was a radar-confirmed tornado in the area at the time.

FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell reported damage at The RIM shopping mall near where the funnel cloud was seen. It's unknown if there are any injuries.

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The region is forecast to see an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain through Friday.

"Localized spots could see another foot of rain or more if storms repeatedly impact the same locations," the FOX Forecast Center said.

The FOX Forecast Center noted this is the first time the WPC has issued a Level 4 flash flood risk since April 2025, when it issued Level 4 risks on three consecutive days across the Mississippi River Valley.

Flood Watches for life-threatening floods remain in place across central and southwestern Texas, including Austin, Kerrville and Del Rio through Thursday.

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The massive heat dome locked over the northern half of the country is forcing a weak storm system underneath it, causing steering winds higher in the atmosphere to come to a crawl. This will create an environment where a weather disturbance can spin over the western half of Texas, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Flash flood threat
(FOX Weather)


 

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"Without a driving force to keep storms moving, downpours are expected to park themselves over the same areas day after day," the FOX Forecast Center said.

This week's flood threat also comes on the heels of a deadly flash flooding along the Black River in southeastern Missouri that began on Friday and lasted into the weekend.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

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