Flood sirens blare in southcentral Texas as rivers reach perilous heights
A person views the Guadalupe River after flash flooding occurred along its banks on July 16, 2026 in Center Point, Texas. Flash floods swept across parts of Central Texas, prompting evacuations and triggering multiple water rescues. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
Dangerous floods are hitting southcentral Texas — a region that just marked one year since more than 130 people died in catastrophic flooding. Gov. Greg Abbott says at least one person has died in the current emergency.
More than 80 rescues have been made, the governor's office said at midday on Thursday, adding that more than 1,300 responders and 46 boats have been deployed.
A wide swath of Texas is under flood alerts, from the Kerrville area south to Uvalde and beyond to Laredo. In parts of Uvalde County, muddy floodwaters covered roads and fields and rose nearly as high as houses' rooftops, according to a video posted by Texas Department of Public Safety.
In some cases, communities that endured flooding on Wednesday are being deluged once again.
"Showers and thunderstorms continue developing and moving into areas that are currently experiencing dangerous flooding conditions," the National Weather Service office in San Antonio and Austin said.
NPR member stations in Texas are covering the floods. In some cases, residents tell reporters that flooding exceeds levels they saw in 2025.
In Kerrville, the city police department said in a noon update that while high water had mostly receded, the emergency is ongoing, with numerous road and bridge closures. The agency urged residents not to venture out.
"There is a lot of people driving around to take a look and that is not helpful," the police said.
At least one summer camp has evacuated, according to the Texas Newsroom, and state lawmakers say they're seeing an improved safety response to the floods, thanks to an increase in disaster resources such as funding for warning systems and flood mitigation.
The Guadalupe River rose at terrifying speed near Comfort, Texas, Thursday morning — from 5.46 feet at 5 a.m. CT to 37.05 feet at 8:05 a.m. — according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Flood sirens blared Thursday morning in the town, northwest of San Antonio that's some 35 miles east of Camp Mystic.
"We have already had several vehicles swept away," the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said on social media, urging people to stay off the roads. It posted a video of fast-moving high water moving through a neighborhood.
"Even if the rain has stopped where you are, water levels are likely to continue surging throughout the day as runoff from upstream moves through our creeks and rivers," the department said.
A map on the NOAA website shows more than 20 sites in Texas where major (in purple) or moderate (in red) flood levels are being observed or forecast. NOAA/ Screenshot by NPR hide caption
Gov. Greg Abbott warns that the flood will likely break records, in an area that's historically prone to flooding.
"I want to give you a comparison: The Fourth of July floods last year had rainfall of 20.29 inches," Abbott said, according to the Texas Newsroom. "The expected rainfall during this rainstorm is expected to be more than 30 inches."
Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, remains shut down after 25 campers and two counselors died last year — the result of a wall of water rushing down the Guadalupe River. They were among the more than 130 people who died across the Hill Country region.
More excessive rainfall is forecast across the Texas Hill Country Thursday, with the storm moving westward toward the Big Bend region on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.