Emergency officials have urged residents living near rivers to move to higher ground.

Texas is once again battling life-threatening flooding as relentless rainfall triggered flash flood emergencies across parts of the Hill Country and South Texas early Thursday, forcing evacuations, prompting dozens of water rescues, and reviving painful memories of last year’s catastrophic floods.Emergency officials have urged residents living near rivers and low-lying areas to move to higher ground immediately as rapidly rising waters continue to threaten communities stretching from Kerr County to Uvalde.

Guadalupe River surges, triggering highest flood alerts

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that a “large and deadly flood wave” was moving downstream along the Guadalupe River, the same waterway that devastated the region during the July 2025 floods.According to CNN, the Guadalupe River at Comfort surged more than 25 feet in just one hour, surpassing levels recorded during last year’s disaster. River gauges at Center Point also showed dramatic rises, with water levels climbing roughly 32 feet within four hours.The NWS issued Flash Flood Emergencies, its highest flood warning, for portions of Kerr, Kendall and surrounding counties as slow-moving storms dumped several inches of rain in only a few hours.

Rescue operations underway as roads disappear under water

Emergency crews worked through the night carrying out swift-water rescues across flood-hit areas. According to the Associated Press, rescue teams pulled multiple people from stranded vehicles in Uvalde after floodwaters cut off access to much of the city.Texas Game Wardens have rescued more than 40 people so far, most of them in Uvalde County, while local authorities deployed rescue boats and planned helicopter operations after daybreak.In Kerr County, rescue boats were launched before sunrise as washed-out bridges and submerged roads complicated rescue efforts.FOX 7 reported that at least 10 people trapped on top of a barn were safely rescued while emergency crews continued responding to distress calls.Several tornado warnings were also issued alongside the flooding.

Communities ordered to evacuate

Authorities issued urgent evacuation notices for residents living near rivers and creeks. In Kerrville, city officials asked residents along Quinlan Creek to move to higher ground immediately, warning that additional rainfall was expected.Officials also requested residents minimize water usage after the city’s surface water treatment plant was temporarily taken offline, though they stressed that drinking water remained safe.Kendall County opened emergency shelters at Comfort High School and the Kendall County Golden Age Center, while Bandera County established shelters at Lakehills United Methodist Church and the Silver Sage Hill Country Resource Center, according to FOX 7.Residents were repeatedly warned not to wait for floodwaters to reach their homes before evacuating.

Rainfall totals overwhelm already saturated region

The latest storm system has dumped extraordinary amounts of rain across Central and South Texas.The Associated Press reported that between 10 and 20 inches of rain fell over the past two days in some locations, with nearly 8 inches recorded in only two hours early Thursday. In several counties, rainfall approached half of the area’s typical annual total.Flood watches remain in effect for millions of Texans, with some alerts expected to continue into Friday.

Painful memories of last year’s tragedy return

The renewed flooding has reignited fears across the Texas Hill Country, which is still recovering from the devastating July 4, 2025 floods.According to CNN, last year’s flooding claimed more than 130 lives, including 25 girls and two counselors at Camp Mystic, making it one of the deadliest flood disasters in recent Texas history.Forecasters warned that while some river levels may remain below the catastrophic peaks recorded in 2025, conditions remain extremely dangerous as additional rainfall continues to fall.Officials continue to urge residents across flood-prone communities to avoid flooded roads, heed evacuation orders, and move to higher ground immediately.