At least 2 dead in Texas floods as hundreds rescued in same region as Camp Mystic disaster

Texas Faces Renewed Flooding Threat Following Torrential Downpours

At least 2 dead in Texas – Severe flash flooding has swept through southern Texas following an extended period of heavy precipitation, resulting in at least two fatalities and numerous rescues throughout the region. This area experienced devastating floods last July, when Camp Mystic tragedy claimed over 130 lives. Texas Governor Greg Abbott reported Thursday that emergency crews have completed more than 230 rescue operations so far. He noted that response efforts involve over 85 boats, 20 aircraft, and 200 high-clearance vehicles working to assist affected communities.

“Human life remains the focus right now,” Abbott emphasized during his afternoon briefing. Residents in the hardest-hit zones have already received approximately one year’s worth of rainfall. While some locations are seeing water levels drop, officials caution that people should stay alert as additional heavy showers continue falling across already saturated areas.

Extended Flood Watch and Forecast Updates

A flood watch remains active for portions of south-central Texas through noon on Friday. This advisory encompasses the US 90 corridor extending westward from San Antonio, the Hill Country region, the Rio Grande Valley, and the southern Edwards Plateau. Meteorologists predict another wave of storms could deliver between two and four additional inches of precipitation, with certain isolated areas potentially receiving up to eight inches. Current forecast models indicate the most intense rainfall might occur northwest of regions that have been hardest hit to date.

According to the governor, Uvalde and Johnson City face the greatest risk over the next twenty-four hours. Late Thursday updates from the National Weather Service revealed that storm activity is intensifying across various Texas locations. Some areas have already accumulated more than two feet of rain in recent days. The agency warned that even small amounts of additional precipitation could worsen existing flooding problems.

Victims and Emergency Response

Among those who perished was a man transported away in a recreational vehicle, Abbott confirmed Thursday. John Mark Steward, aged sixty-five, died after being swept away in his mobile home in Kerrville. His wife shared the news with The San Antonio Express-News. CNN has not yet verified Steward’s passing with local authorities. Separately, police reported that a seventy-four-year-old man, whose name remains undisclosed, died while driving near Uvalde. A Department of Public Safety team observed his vehicle floating in floodwaters approximately four miles north of the city around ten-thirty in the morning. The Uvalde Police Department later confirmed his death on Thursday.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency—its most severe alert—early Thursday for Kerrville, Ingram, and Hunt. These communities suffered tremendously during last year’s catastrophic floods that killed at least 130 people, including twenty-five girls and two counselors. That alert has since been lifted.

River Levels and Evacuations

Authorities cautioned that a substantial and dangerous flood wave was traveling down the Guadalupe River. The river crested at thirty-seven point nine-four feet in Center Point on Thursday morning, a level slightly lower than last year’s peak. A monitoring station in Comfort recorded water levels rising twenty-five feet within a single hour. The gauge showed levels remained above flood stage Thursday as officials monitored swollen creeks.

Over eighty individuals were evacuated from riverside campgrounds before waters reached hazardous levels, the governor stated. In Comfort, forty-two relatives attending their family’s fortieth annual reunion departed a riverside hotel on Thursday morning, according to CNN affiliate KENS. Amy Thogmartin, who traveled from Brooklyn, explained the situation to KENS: “We grabbed just what we needed and what we could get right away. But the priority was to get out. And we’re glad we did, because the people that got back immediately after that, maybe twenty minutes later, the water had risen maybe another ten feet.”

Video footage from the Hill Country showed water covering streets and engulfing bridges while first responders pulled stranded residents from strong currents. Families examined damaged property as rescue operations continued. One family told CNN they spent hours sheltering in their Kerrville home’s attic while rising water accumulated below them until a rescue boat finally arrived. In Boerne, footage captured a group of deer being swept away by the floodwaters.

All children’s summer camps in Kerr County confirmed their campers were safe, according to the county sheriff’s office. Police Chief Jerel Haley reported that first responders cleared approximately fifty homes located in flood-prone areas. Officials noted that warning systems installed following last year’s disasters were activated in Kerr County during the early morning hours before water levels began climbing. This allowed residents to respond quickly to emerging threats.

“The same circumstances that occurred last year occurred again this morning but this time, our towers intervened and woke people and got them out,” officials stated, highlighting the improved emergency response capabilities.