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Local and state law enforcement in Kerr County are working to rescue and evacuate residents as a flash flooding emergency in the Texas Hill Country has led to a number of fatalities.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to shelter in place and not attempt travel unless seeking higher ground along the Guadalupe River.
“Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground,” The sheriff’s office said in a statement Friday.
“This is a catastrophic flooding event in Kerr County. We can confirm fatalities but will not release further information until next of kin are notified,” the statement said. “Our Office is working with a wide variety of local and state agencies to respond to calls and rescues. The entire county is an extremely active scene.”
According to Jason Runyan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, heavy rainfall drained into the Guadalupe River Basin. He said it started up by the head waters near Hunt, Texas in western Kerr County and “travelled downstream through Kerrville where it crested” and then travelled down towards Comfort.
“We saw some pretty sharp and steep rises on the river,” said Runyan, “at some cases rivaling the 1987 flood, the famous 1987 flood” when ten people lost their lives.
On Friday the water was so high and forceful, some of the river instrumentation and gauges were affected or washed out. “So it’s a pretty catastrophic type flood wave coming down the Guadalupe River,” said Runyan.
Runyan stressed the importance of avoiding travelling around the Kerr County region. “There’s still a lot of low water crossings flooded,” he said. “If you do live along — or are vacationing along — the Guadalupe River, you need to seek higher ground right now.”
Some of these areas of the Hill Country were under a flash flood emergency.
Runyan noted the importance of differentiating between a flash flood warning and a flash flood emergency.
“Typically most people are familiar with flash flood warnings,” he said. “Our typical flash flood warnings are when we expect imminent flooding in areas—rises and streams and creeks that go over low water crossing.”
However, the flash flood emergencies are much more rare and are “saved for days where we’re expecting catastrophic type damage or widespread damage or even loss of life.”
A flash flood emergency has been declared until 2 p.m. Heavy rains will continue throughout the day for Kerrville and the surrounding Hill Country area, with warnings in effect for communities downstream along the Guadalupe.
The Guadalupe River at Hunt reached its highest level on record — higher than the historic 1987 flood in the area, according to the National Weather Service.
At a press conference, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said he has signed a declaration of disaster due to the flooding—which now surpasses the floods of July 17, 1987.
In the 1987 flood eleven inches of rain fell, and 10 teenagers died when their church bus ran into flood waters.
When asked if a warning system was in effect Thursday night when the flooding started, Kelly said, “We do not have a warning system on the river.”
Summer camps were not evacuated last night despite the historic flooding that has occurred.
“We didn’t know this flood was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,” said Kelly. “We have floods all the time.”
He also said that this “is the most dangerous river valley in the United States” but that they had “no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
The National Weather Service on Thursday predicted five to seven inches of rain with the possibility of storm clusters forming over the region due to a heavy weather pattern, including Tropical moisture stemming up from the Gulf of Mexico.
However, the area ended up seeing over a foot of rain.
Texas Game Wardens search and rescue teams are conducting rescues across the region.
“Our Aviation Unit and rescue swimmers are assisting from the air, while the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program provides live aerial feed to our emergency management partners at the State Emergency Operations Center, which is now operating at an escalated response level,” they said in a post on social media.
Reunification centers have been set up at two locations:
- Arcadia Elementary School
717 Water St, Kerrville, TX 780281 - Ingram Elementary School
125 Brave Run W, Ingram, Texas, 78025
The Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce has issued a statement informing the community of the following road closures:
- Schubert at Milam
- Edison to Travis
- 2000 Block Upper Liveoak
- 2500 Block W. Liveoak
- Hayden Ranch Road
- Shin Oak
- 783 Nort
- Fielder Road at Pedernales River
- FM2093/Tivydale at Friedrich and Usener
- Wendel Loop at 290 West
According to the statement, emergency crews have also been dispatched to assist neighboring Kerr and Kimble Counties, and low water crossings across the county are being closely monitored.
Members of the Houston Fire Department were dispatched to assist first responders in Kerr County, according to Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
“As mayor of a city that knows the toll of major storms, I understand the fear and uncertainty so many are feeling. I’m in contact with Houstonians in the Hill Country, including parents with children in summer camps, and checking on their well-being,” he said.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Houston Public Media’s Adam Zuvanich contributed to this report.
Great Job & the Team @ Houston Public Media Source link for sharing this story.
