Texas floods 2026

At least one person has died in dangerous overnight flooding that prompted evacuations and damaged homes, schools and roads in the Hill Country.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that officials were working to confirm additional details about the victim.

As of Wednesday, more than 1,300 people helped respond to the floods that hit a wide swath of Texas, Abbott said. More than 70 people have been rescued.

Abbott said flooding of the Guadalupe River was more severe downstream from Kerrville than upstream, where many summer camps are located.

"Right now, I am informed that none of those camps are facing any type of danger," he said at an 11 a.m. press conference on Thursday.

The area around Comfort, Texas, is experiencing the brunt of the flooding, Abbott said.

Lawmakers are pointing to the impact of legislation passed in the aftermath of the July 2025 floods as the Hill Country once again sees major flooding.

After more than 130 people died last year, the state Legislature passed measures to tighten safety for youth camps, fund flood warning sirens, expand weather monitoring infrastructure and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in flood mitigation and disaster preparedness.

State Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican who authored several of the Legislature's flood-related measures, said some of the quickest changes came through new safety requirements for youth camps.

"One of the parents actually texted me and said the kids are safer today because of that bill," Perry said.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt wrote on social media Thursday that flood warning sirens were used in Kerr County this morning due to heavy rainfall, which he said “gave those that heard them and others downstream notice to get to higher ground immediately.”

Perry also noted that the state's flood response should be viewed as a long-term effort built over multiple legislative sessions.

Video of the Guadalupe River taken around 9 a.m. in Comfort, Texas, shows floodwaters brushing treetops.

Residents in the Hill Country shared what they were seeing Thursday morning as flooding continued.

Stuart Gross, the code enforcement officer in Ingram, told Houston Public Media the damage is more significant than the catastrophic July 4 floods that hit the area last year.

“My neighborhood, I've lived there a long, long, long, long time. I've never seen it flood. It flooded today,” Gross said. “It was crazy.”

Former Fredericksburg Mayor Tim Crenwelge also said the flooding is worse than what he experienced last year.

“The water came up, but not at this height,” he said, referring to last year. “It's just unbelievable, but if everybody heeded to the warning signs and got out, I don't think we'll see the deaths. But destruction, it could be there again."

Christian Blood, who lives outside of Kerrville, says the threat of tornadoes prompted him to seek shelter.

“What led me to get my family out of our home and go to a parking garage in Kerrville was multiple late night and/or early morning tornado warnings in Uvalde,” he said.

Major flooding pushed the Pedernales River in Fredericksburg to 34 feet just before 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. That’s the highest flood stage since June of 1979, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters say the river could crest at nearly 35 feet later this morning, according to an NWS forecast just before 10 a.m.

The river’s banks jumped from just 9 feet at 4 a.m. Thursday to nearly 33 feet in just five hours.

The NWS is cautioning residents to seek higher ground in affected areas along both the Guadalupe and Pedernales rivers and said the rivers will likely have “multiple crests” on Thursday, meaning the water levels could subside briefly before another surge of floodwater.

“This can create a false sense of security, as rivers are likely to experience a brief recession before the next flood wave arrives,” the NWS said on social media.

The Austin Fire Department told KUT News it sent one swift boat team and two members of its Helicopter Search and Rescue Team to assist Kerrville after potentially catastrophic overnight flooding in the Hill Country along the Guadalupe River.

The city of Kerrville is encouraging residents to reduce water use as a precaution after issues at its water plant. The city said it has switched to groundwater well sites to maintain supply.

The city said in its Facebook post at 7:07 a.m. that there were no issues with the water supply, and that the conservation request was a preventative measure.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly has signed a local disaster declaration, according to the county’s Facebook page. The declaration activates the county’s emergency management plan.

Kelly also sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott requesting further assistance.

“The impact of this threat has damaged local roads and sewer systems as well as flooded several homes, schools, and structures,” Kelly said. “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capability of Kerr County to control.”

Kelly asked Abbott to declare a state of emergency for the county.

National Weather Service officials say a “deadly” wave of floodwater is heading down the Pedernales River near Fredericksburg. The agency said flash flooding is already occurring and urged residents to seek higher ground immediately just after 8:40 a.m. The river topped out at more than 31 feet Thursday morning near Fredericksburg and is “rapidly rising,” the NWS said.

The emergency is in effect until 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The affected area includes parts of the Pedernales in Gillespie and Blanco counties. Affected cities include Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Stonewall, Blumenthal, Rocky Hill, Luckenbach, Cain City, LBJ State Park, Albert, Hye, Rocky Creek, Tivydale, Pedernales Falls State Park, Harper and LBJ National Historical Park.

“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the service said.

There are multiple flash flood emergencies in effect across the region, a rare designation reserved for “severe threat to human life” and expected “catastrophic damage,” according to the National Weather Service.

A flash flood emergency is active for central Kerr County, including Kerrville and Hunt, until 3 p.m. The NWS said at 7:31 a.m. that between 4 and 12 inches of rain have fallen, with 1 to 2 inches more possible.

A flash flood emergency for Uvalde County continues until 4:15 p.m. The National Weather Service said at 8:23 a.m. that between 10 and 20 inches of rain had fallen over the past 48 to 60 hours, with 2 to 4 inches more possible.

There is also a flash flood emergency for the Guadalupe River between Center Point and Bergheim until 11:30 a.m.

Calvary Temple Church is now open as an emergency shelter for flood evacuees, Kerr County announced in a Facebook post.

The church is located at 3000 TX-534 Loop in Kerrville. A separate shelter has opened in Ingram, a few miles northwest of Kerrville, at City West Church, located at 3139 Junction Highway.

In a 7:27 a.m. post, the city of Kerrville said that residents who live along Quinlan Creek, a waterway that flows into the Guadalupe River, should evacuate to higher ground.

A shelter-in-place order is in effect for the city of Kerrville, as of 4:12 a.m.

“Move to the highest safe level of your home or building. Do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” the city posted on its Facebook page.

City officials urged residents to avoid areas that typically flood, like low-water crossings.

The post also urged people to only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.