At least 87 people are dead as heavy rains caused catastrophic flooding.
Heavy rain poured over parts of central Texas, dumping more than a month’s worth of rain in some places and killing at least 87 people, including 27 children, according to officials.
Dangerous amounts of rain caused flash flooding in parts of Texas, destroying homes and cars on Independence Day.
Here’s a timeline of the disaster:
Thursday, July 3
10:48 a.m.: The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center upgrades portions of south-central Texas, including Kerr County and surrounding areas, to a level 2 of 4 risk for excessive rainfall.
1:18 p.m.: A flood watch is issued by the NWS Austin/San Antonio office, including Kerr County and surrounding areas in south-central Texas, through Friday morning.
The alert mentions locally heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding in the region with isolated amounts of 5 to 7 inches possible, adding, “Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks.”
6:10 p.m.: The Weather Prediction Center highlights the south-central Texas region (including Texas Hill Country) as an area of increasing concern for slow-moving, training thunderstorms (meaning rounds of thunderstorms moving over the same area) with the potential for rainfall rates exceeding 3 inches per hour into the evening hours and beyond.
Friday, July 4
1:14 a.m.: A flash flood warning is issued for Bandera and Kerr counties and include the “considerable” alert tag.
Flash flood warnings with the impact-based warning tags “considerable” or “catastrophic” denote high-damage threats, according to the NWS, and will automatically trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) on enabled mobile devices, including NOAA weather radios.
This ensures only the most life-threatening flash flood events prompt urgent public notifications.
This NWS alert mentioned flash flooding and highlighted the threat of “life-threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses” for locations like Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt, and the Kerr Wildlife Management area to name a few.
3:35 a.m.: The original flash flood warning is upgraded and includes more serious and specific wording:
“Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life. Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks.”
4:03 a.m.: The flash flood warning is upgraded to a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County, Including Hunt.
“Numerous low water crossings as well as the Guadalupe River at Hunt are flooding. Between 4 and 10 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 2 to 4 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring,” the NWS wrote.
It continued, “This is a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for South-central Kerr County, including Hunt. This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!”
4:35 a.m.: First reports of flash flooding start coming in from local officials, including the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, reporting flash flooding at low water crossings.
7 a.m.: Kerr County, Texas, begins to evacuate people near the Guadalupe River in Hunt amid major flooding caused by 6 to 7 inches of rainfall.
10 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirms there have been “multiple fatalities” from “catastrophic flooding.”
“The entire county is an extremely active scene. Residents are encouraged to shelter in place and not attempt travel. Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground,” the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said.
1 p.m.: The “devastating and deadly flood” has far surpassed the flood of 1987, becoming the highest flood on record, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a press conference Saturday.
Officials say there have been dozens of water rescues.
“This came at night when people were asleep in bed. Please pray for our community,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said during a press conference.
Camp Mystic, a girls-only camp along the Guadalupe River, said it lost power, water and Wi-Fi. In a letter, the camp told parents that if they have not been personally contacted, then their daughter is accounted for.
“The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help,” Camp Mystic said in a statement.
3 p.m.: Heavy rain remains ongoing in parts of Texas, dumping more than a month’s worth of rain for places like San Angelo.
A flash flood emergency remains in effect for south-central Kerr County, including Hunt, which also warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” with up to 12 inches of rain already have fallen and more rain still coming down through the evening.
Another flash flood emergency for the Guadalupe River from Center Point to Sisterdale, as well as to the north for the Llano River south of Mason, remains in effect as the extreme runoff from the heavy rain makes its way down the rivers.
Several major camps in the area are likely impacted by the flooding.
Just before 5 p.m.: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said they are working to evacuate camps with some of the kids, announcing that there are around 23 campers unaccounted for at Camp Mystic.
Once rain clears, they have 10 buses ready to go and get kids to reunite them with their parents, Patrick said.
Thirteen people are confirmed dead, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.
10 p.m.: At least 24 people have been confirmed dead, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Around 23 to 25 campers are still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic.
Saturday, July 5
3 a.m.: A flash flood emergency has been issued by the NWS for northwestern Travis County and far eastern Burnet County around Lake Travis in south-central Texas.
Flash flooding is already occurring as 3 to 7 inches of rain have fallen and the expected rainfall rate is 6 inches in an hour. Additional rates of 2 to 5 inches are also possible.
7 a.m.: This earlier flash flood emergency has been expanded to include much of Burnet County and western parts of Williamson and Travis counties.
Sunday, July 6
During a news conference on Sunday morning, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha says at least 59 people are confirmed dead in the flooding in the flooding in Kerr County alone, including 21 children.
According to Leitha, at least 11 campers and a counselor from the Mystic Camp, a private Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River, remain unaccounted for.
Another 11 people died from flooding in the neighboring counties of Travis, Williamson, Burnet, Tom Green and Kendall, bringing the death toll to 70, according to officials.
Leitha says more than 400 first responders, including more K-9 units and search-and-rescue aircraft, are combing the area for victims.
The Department of Homeland Security also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been activated on the ground in Kerr County after President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the county.
3:30 p.m.: Kerr County Sheriff Leitha announces at a news conference that the death toll in Kerr County has risen to at least 68, including 28 children.
In a separate news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott, Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said three storm-related deaths occurred in neighboring Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County bringing the total death toll across Texas to 78.
11 p.m.: At least 80 people have died in Texas as a result of the catastrophic flooding in the state. The death toll continues to rise as officials in affected areas conduct search and rescue operations.
