Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Thursday that at least one person has died following severe flooding in central Texas. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that torrential rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise 32 feet within a four-hour window, leading to emergency evacuations across Uvalde, Kerr, and Kendall counties.
According to state officials, emergency teams have conducted approximately 80 rescues as of Thursday afternoon. Governor Abbott clarified that the individual who died was not a resident of one of the many summer camps located in the region. The NWS characterized the event as catastrophic, warning that river levels would continue to rise throughout the day.
The affected region is the same location where flash floods resulted in more than 130 deaths during the previous year. That event included 27 fatalities at Camp Mystic, a local summer camp that subsequently filed for bankruptcy and did not reopen for the current season. Local officials continue to monitor river gauges and maintain evacuation orders for residents in low-lying areas near the riverbanks.