2 dead as catastrophic flooding paralyzes communities while waves race down Texas Hill Country rivers

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Flash flood Warnings in effect across Texas Hill Country as emergency response continues

Rivers are beginning to come down across Texas as rainfall stops and flash flood warnings persist through Thursday night. The flash flood threat doesn't cease on Friday, but is less severe, as emergency response continues across the region. 

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Two people have died as relentless, deadly flash flooding is ongoing across parts of Texas' Hill Country, leaving communities paralyzed and extensive damage in its path, officials said.

 The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a series of warnings from before dawn through Thursday morning about "large and deadly flood waves" moving down major rivers in the region, including the Guadalupe.

A flood wave is a surge of rapidly rising water that travels downstream through a river, capable of sweeping away vehicles, overtopping bridges and destroying homes in a matter of minutes.

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Watch: Flooded Guadalupe River rushes through Kerrville during Flash Flood Emergency

The Guadalupe River rose to incredible heights on Thursday morning, as a Flash Flood Emergency was in effect and the National Weather Service warned of a deadly flood wave. Video shows the swollen river furiously rushing through trees in Kerrville. 

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The Kerr County Sheriff's Office confirmed that at least one person had died in the flooding near Center Point in Kerr County on Thursday afternoon. The person's identity wasn't released.

Governor Greg Abbott later confirmed another death near Uvalde in which a woman was swept away by floodwaters while driving.

The Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) said a barge struck Sidney Baker Bridge during flooding in Kerr County, and it remains closed at this time.

Officials said emergency personnel are assessing the bridge to ensure it is structurally stable before reopening to traffic.

Photo of barge hitting the Sidney Baker Bridge in Kerrville, Texas. 

(Vinny Mifsud/Facebook / FOX Weather)

Texas DOT said on Thursday afternoon at least 125 roadways were affected by flooding in Central Texas. 

At least 87 were closed due to flooding, damage and debris. 

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Last year's devastating floods killed at least 135 people in Kerrville and other vulnerable communities along the Guadalupe.

"The [Guadalupe] river gauge at Center Point has risen 32 feet in four hours and is expected to reach a crest similar to [the] July 4, 2025, catastrophic river flood," the NWS said in a Flash Flood Emergency warning bulletin issued just after 5:30 a.m. local time.

02:16

First responders assist during intense flash flooding in Uvalde, Texas

First responders in Uvalde, Texas jumped into action to assist the community as life-threatening flash flooding inundated the community. FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray captured crews hard at work as waters washed across major roads.

The NWS warned of several deadly flood waves surging down the Guadalupe and Pedernales rivers as flooding spread to the Nueces and Frio river basins through Thursday morning.

Flash Flood Emergencies were issued in the pre-dawn hours Thursday across Kerr, Kendall and Uvalde counties and expanded through the morning to include Blanco and Gillespie counties.

00:37

Flooding submerges roads across Uvalde County, Texas

Flooding is still a major concern across Uvalde County, Texas, where roads are still submerged and officials are telling residents to not travel unless absolutely necessary. Aerial video shows the extent of flooding across the county.

The Guadalupe River began receding on Thursday afternoon, as rain slowed down around the region.

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Officials ordered people in low-lying areas and communities under Flash Flood Emergencies to evacuate or seek higher ground immediately, while urging everyone else to stay off the roads.

The Guadalupe River at Comfort rose more than 34 feet in less than two hours, reaching major flood state Thursday morning. 

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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.

Flood damage at Arcadia Bridge in Kerrville, Texas, on July 16, 2026.

(FOX 7 Austin / FOX 7 Austin)

Flooding forced widespread closures of state highways and local roads, according to county officials and real-time traffic maps from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Multiple bridges in Kerrville were closed due to possible damage and flooding, and will be evaluated when it's safe to do so, Kerrville police said. 

Aerial rescue units were seen rejoining water rescue teams after first light.

FOX 7 Austin reported that the Comfort RV Resort was evacuated, and 10 people had to be rescued by helicopter from the roof of a barn near Kerrville Thursday morning.

First responders in Fredericksburg on Thursday.

(FOX 7 Austin / FOX 7 Austin)

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly issued an official disaster declaration Thursday morning, while the Kerr County Sheriff's Office said it confirmed that campers at all camps in the county are safe.

The Ingram Fire Department in Kerr County said it rescued a driver whose vehicle stalled in floodwaters overnight and received additional reports of stranded vehicles.

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Kendall County officials said they performed multiple water rescues Thursday morning, while at least 68 people took shelter at county facilities during the height of the initial flooding.

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

FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray showed parts of Uvalde cut off from the rest of the city Thursday as the Taylor Slough overtopped its banks.

More than 20 inches of rain has fallen in Uvalde over the past 3 days, and police were seen going door to door evacuating neighborhoods on Wednesday morning.

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

Floodwaters inundate Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

(FOX Weather)

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

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

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Ray reported widespread washouts and roads that had been rendered impassable near Camp Wood in Real County Wednesday. 

UVALDE AND CONCAN, TEXAS - JULY 15:  A Texas Department of Public Safety vehicle drives through standing water in Uvalde on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. 

((Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

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

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.

Severe storm damage around The Rim shopping mall in northwest San Antonio on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

(FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell / FOX Weather)

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.

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. 

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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.

03:29

Severe storms cause potentially life-threatening flooding in Texas

FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell is in Boerne, Texas, as heavy rainfall causes ongoing impacts in the state. Dangerous flood conditions and rescues are ongoing, and the rain isn't letting up.

Third consecutive day of Level 4 flood threat across Texas Hill Country

NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) increased Thursday's flood risk to a Level 4 out of 4 flash flood risk for parts of the Texas Hill Country, with a broader Level 3 threat including the rest of Hill Country.

A Level 2 threat covers the northwestern part of the San Antonio metro area through Friday morning.

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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.

Severe storm damage around The Rim shopping mall in northwest San Antonio on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

(FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell / FOX Weather)

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.

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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.