The San Gabriel River in Georgetown, Texas, was overflowing on Saturday, the day after torrential rains caused deadly floods along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville.
AUSTIN, Texas – Dangerous flooding continued in Central Texas through the weekend, as authorities searched for dozens of missing people swept away by floodwaters on the Fourth of July.
New flooding was reported along the San Gabriel River, the Brazos River, and Burnet County, all on the north and west sides of Austin.
In Burnet County, rainfall totals between 6-12 inches on Saturday morning triggered a Flash Flood Emergency, with authorities performing dozens of water rescues, especially along the Colorado River.
One of the missing included a first responder, who was attending to a call for service, Burnet County officials said.
Because of the holiday weekend, in many cases, authorities don’t really know how many people could be missing, as most impacted areas are rural and being used for camping and other recreational activities.
Most victims found so far have been from Kerr County, where a retreat was underway at Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls.
According to local authorities, 27 children and adults were found dead throughout the Texas Hill Country, with a similar number still missing.
(FOX Weather)
CATASTROPHIC FLOODING LEAVES AT LEAST 27 DEAD, DOZENS MISSING AS ‘DEADLY FLOOD WAVE’ SWEPT CENTRAL TEXAS
Officials said they have devoted hundreds of local, state, and federal resources and promised not to give up searching until every missing person is found.
“This is a time when we, as a state, need God more than ever,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “The one thing I hear the most are the prayers that are being sent for those who are in harm’s way. There is an extraordinary collaboration to make sure that we address everybody’s concern as quickly as possible. As part of this, I am signing a disaster declaration to ensure counties have access to every tool, strategy, and personnel that the State of Texas can provide to them, which will be limitless.”
Flood alerts were in effect for more than 6 million Texans as a tropical moisture field, once associated with Tropical Storm Barry, lingered over the area for days, helping to produce slow-moving showers and thunderstorms.
(FOX Weather)
The precipitation caused some waterways to rise 30 feet in just an hour, catching residents and visitors off guard as floodwaters raced eastward through the Lone Star State toward the Gulf.
Authorities assured residents that dams and other critical infrastructure would hold further downstream, with the focus of rescue operations being closer to where the rainfall was flowing into creeks, rivers and streams.
The rainy weather was expected to linger into Monday, providing more chances for low-lying areas and communities along rivers and streams to face additional flooding risks.
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The recent flooding episode has been compared to the 1987 disaster, which claimed the lives of nearly a dozen people.
According to the NWSslow-moving thunderstorms developed on the evening of July 16 and morning of July 17, producing a widespread 5 to 10 inches of rain over the Guadalupe River basin.
The deluge unleashed a massive flood wave that surged down the Guadalupe River, roaring through towns such as Ingram, Kerrville, and Comfort.
Hundreds of people living along the river and its tributaries were forced to evacuate suddenly as the waters rose — a memory still etched in the minds of residents throughout the Texas Hill Country.
