Beginning early July 4th, while many were expecting to spend the day celebrating the nation's 249th birthday, Texas experienced torrential rainfall that ultimately led to catastrophic flooding. It’s reported that between 5 and 11 inches of rain fell in just a few hours across central Texas, causing rivers and creeks to overflow rapidly. Texas Hill Country was hit especially hard as some areas received over 20 inches of rain, an estimated four months' worth of precipitation in just days.
The National Weather Service issued at least six emergency alerts that day for parts of the Hill Country, including Kerrville and Mason. Along the Guadalupe River, water levels surged an astonishing 26 feet in under an hour, sweeping away bridges and vehicles. In Hunt, Texas, a riverside summer camp was ripped apart; more than 20 children were initially reported missing as floodwaters tore through the campgrounds. Flooding continued into July 5, flowing downstream and impacting areas closer to Austin. Additional flash flood warnings were issued for communities around Lake Travis, a large reservoir northwest of Austin, as water levels there rapidly rose by over 20 feet. By July 6th, the storm had finally started to cease, but not before floodwaters had devastated multiple counties. Officials say the incident has become the deadliest inland flooding event in the United States in nearly five decades.
State and local authorities are still tallying the human and economic impacts as recovery efforts continue. Authorities report that more than 400 people have been rescued from the floodwaters so far. Statewide, the known death toll has risen above 120 people, with more than 170 others still reported missing in the wake of the floods. The majority of victims are from Kerr County, where entire neighborhoods along the Guadalupe River were washed away, and dozens of children at the summer camp lost their lives