‘Came at night’: Texas officials say they were caught off guard by deadly rainstorms, flooding

The deadly floods that struck Texas on the 4th of July caught local officials off guard as the torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise to near-historic levels in a matter of minutes, officials said at a press conference Saturday.

A Flood Watch was in effect for parts of New Mexico and western Texas Thursday afternoon as rounds of slow-moving thunderstorms packing heavy rain moved through the area. By Thursday evening, five inches of rain had fallen in parts of western Texas, including Midland and Odessa.

Boerne search and rescue teams navigate upstream in an inflatable boat on the flooded Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025 in Comfort, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported.

Eric Vryn/Getty Images

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Kerr County, where the river is located, around 1:14 a.m. Friday.

The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes that morning, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring told reporters Friday.

‘Came at night’: Texas officials say they were caught off guard by deadly rainstorms, flooding

A first responder searches an area along the Guadalupe River that hit by flash flooding, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.

Eric Gay/AP

“This came at night, when people were asleep in bed,” he said.

The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing a 1987 flood level, the National Weather Service said.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters that it is up to local mayors and counties to evacuate if they feel the need and many were unsure where the storm would land.

At a news conference Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said the county does not have a warning system on the river.

Kelly was pressed by a reporter as to why evacuations didn’t take place Thursday, but the judge said, “We didn’t know this flood was coming.”

PHOTO: Extreme Weather Texas

A man surveys debris along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood struck the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.

Eric Gay/AP

“We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we deal with floods on a regular basis. When it rains, we get water. We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here, none whatsoever,” he said.

Rain continued to hit the region Saturday, prompting flash flood emergency warnings for much of Burnet County and western parts of Williamson County and Travis County.

ABC News’ Emily Shapiro and Kyle Reiman contributed to this post.

Great Job & the Team @ ABC News: Top Stories Source link for sharing this story.

#FROUSA #HillCountryNews #NewBraunfels #ComalCounty #LocalVoices #IndependentMedia

Felicia Ray Owens
Felicia Ray Owenshttps://feliciarayowens.com

Felicia Ray Owens is a media founder, cultural strategist, and civic advocate who creates platforms where power meets lived truth. As the voice behind C4: Coffee. Cocktails. Culture. Conversation and the founder of FROUSA Media, she uses storytelling, public dialogue, and organizing to spotlight the issues that matter most—locally and nationally.

A longtime advocate for community wellness and political engagement, Felicia brings experience as a former Precinct Chair and former Chief Communications Officer of Indivisible Hill Country. Her work bridges culture, activism, and healing through curated spaces designed to inspire real change.

Learn more at FROUSA.org

Latest articles

Related articles

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter Your First & Last Name here

Leave the field below empty!

spot_imgspot_img